Parlor Tricks
by Lyralocke
Summary: AU, Kataang. It's 1927 and the city is at war. The Dragon Gang is taking over every speakeasy they can, and it's up to the Riversiders and the Aces to stop them. Just one problem. There's only one Ace left, and he doesn't think he has anything to prove.
1. Chapter 1

_Okay... so generally I don't like AUs. But ugh... I had this idea and I ran with it, guys, I just took it and I sprinted and the results are thusly. There was much discussion and brainstorming on DH and they told me to go for it so... gah here it is. It's gonna be a long one, longer than BAD PEOPLE.  
_

_So the backbone of the story is just like the show. Four types of bending, one Avatar. The characters are the same, no OCs or anything. The plot is the same, Fire Nation has gone too far, people are having trouble finding the Avatar. Differences? It takes place in 1927 at the peak of Prohibition in the United States in a big city like Chicago or the like. Yeah. Urm... so here's how it pans out. Fire Nation the Dragon Gang. Water Tribe Riversiders. Air Nomads the Four Aces. Earth Kingdom the rest of the speakeasies in the city._

_I'm hoping that's all the basic info you'll need. Everything else is explained in the story itself. If you have any questions please let me know. I really don't want it to be confusing, I think I've done a pretty good job._

_Just so you all know, I'm in no way like... pro-crime or anything. The 20s were just a fascinating time period when the bootleggers and gangsters were sort of the heroes of the time, so I'm trying to make it seem as normal as possible. If you have like... an ancestor that was killed by Al Capone or something, I'm not saying he was right so please don't hate me._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar_

* * *

CHAPTER 1 

"I can't believe this."

"Oh quit your whining."

Katara shot her brother a glare as the two of them walked the rainy midnight streets of Omashu.

"I have the right to whine," she snapped. "You're the one that let the truck run out of gas. And during the witching hour, too."

"Not my fault Susan is such a hayburner," Sokka muttered mutinously, referring to his truck which he called Susan for some reason. He dug his hands into his pockets and glanced around the dark street, ground shining with rainwater. "I've never known the city to be so quiet this time of night."

"We're on the south side, Sokka," Katara replied edgily. "There hasn't been any business here since Boss Ozai bumped off all the Aces."

"We'd better hurry up, I don't like this part of the city," Sokka grumbled.

"What are you scared of? You have your boomerang, don't you?" she asked pointedly.

Sokka didn't respond, but she saw him slip his hand into his jacket just to make sure his handgun was there. He called it his boomerang despite the fact that it was a beat up old M1911.

"This baby's so powerful, the recoil comes right back at you like a boomerang," he told anyone who would listen. This was untrue, but the recoil had seemed much more powerful to him when he started calling it his boomerang considering he had been eleven years old when his father had given it to him.

Katara stopped in her tracks, glancing at a nearby street sign.

Sokka looked over at her, pushing his wet hair out of his eyes and pulling his fedora further down on his forehead. "What's eating you? It's raining pitchforks, we've gotta keep moving."

Katara didn't respond, raising a hand over her head and waterbending the raindrops away as they came down faster. "Sokka, wasn't the Ace of Spades around here?" she asked.

Sokka frowned thoughtfully, counting off on his fingers. "Um… the Clubs was on the west side, the Hearts was on the east side, and the Diamonds was on the north side…" he muttered. "Yeah, the Ace of Spades was around here somewhere."

Katara rolled her eyes. "Thanks so much, Sokka…" she sighed. "It was on Lake Street, so we're close. Come on." She started off down a narrow alley, Sokka on her heels.

"What are we going to the Spades for, Katara? There's nothing there. All the Aces were looted months ago."

"There might be some gas in the cellars," she replied without looking at him, still repelling the rain with one hand over her head. "And if not, there'll be a phone at least."

"You're not thinking of calling Dad, are you?" Sokka said, stopping in his tracks.

"How else do you expect him to pick up the shipment?" Katara replied lightly. "He sent us on this job because we're the best of the Riversiders, so clearly it needs to get done."

"Yeah, we're the best," Sokka replied. "So we have to finish the delivery ourselves, or we won't be the best anymore."

"Sokka, this isn't about some stupid reputation," Katara snorted.

"Yes, it is," Sokka replied darkly. "We're all that stands between Boss Ozai and the rest of the city. He's coming down way too hard on everybody else."

"Can we just deal with this?" Katara replied, turning and leveling a hard look at her brother.

He frowned. "You're giving me the Mom look," he growled. "I hate it when you give me the Mom look."

Katara took that to be the end of the conversation. She stopped in the middle of the street, looking quickly over her shoulder.

"The Spades was under a pet shop, wasn't it?" Katara asked, speaking more to herself than her brother. "Or was it a sandwich shop…"

"No, the Hearts was under a sandwich shop," Sokka said immediately, smiling as he relived a fond memory. "Their roast beef sandwiches were the cat's meow."

Katara rolled her eyes again. "There it is," she said suddenly, pointing down the street. "South Side Pets. Looks kind of worse for the wear, doesn't it?"

The two siblings stood before the pet shop, a rather small place crammed between two eight-story apartment buildings. The windows were heavily boarded and the door was chained shut. Katara crossed her arms over her chest and Sokka dug his hands deeper into his pockets, water dripping from the rim of his fedora.

"Shall we?" Katara asked with a grin. She gathered some rainwater in her hands and brought it slicing through the air, severing the chains in half. Sokka, taking his cue, stepped forward and kicked the door in.

"Anybody home?" Sokka called, stepping over the threshold. He reached automatically for the light switch, but the room remained dark. "No power."

"Not surprising," Katara sighed. She moved further into the shop, passing rows of empty cages and bowls until she reached the counter in the back. She heard Sokka shout in surprise when he knocked something over, but ignored it and leapt over the counter. There, among the dusty floorboards, was an old trapdoor embossed with an image of the Ace of Spades. Melted into the metal was a fresher image, a dragon. The symbol of the Dragon Gang.

"Back here, Sokka," she called. Sokka appeared beside her, leaning back against the counter.

"He's a subtle one, Boss Ozai," he said darkly. Katara smiled bemusedly as he bent down and hauled the trapdoor up out of the floor. The siblings peered into the square opening. A stone staircase, worn down by years of use, descended into the darkness below. Katara sighed. She had been friends with some of the Aces, known their families. She had even met Gyatso the Monk once. Being in one of their old speakeasies, even nearly a year after they had all been killed, made a chill set in that Katara rarely felt.

"Aha," Sokka said suddenly, making her jump. He crouched beside her, a dusty flashlight in his hand. A dim light clicked on from within.

"The battery still works?" Katara asked, lifting an eyebrow. "Well isn't that the bee's knees."

"Don't question fair fortune," Sokka replied lightly. "Can we continue? My dogs are killing me."

Katara rolled her eyes and snatched the torch from his hand. "We walked for six blocks, what kind of bootlegger are you?"

"I didn't ask for an earful, sis."

"Bushwa, bro."

Sokka didn't respond, so Katara remained silent as the two of them continued down the staircase. It was long, but not very steep. They weren't going very far underground, just far behind the pet shop. As they finally neared the end of the tunnel, Katara stopped dead. Sokka ran into her.

"What's the big idea?" Sokka snapped. Katara pressed a finger to her lips and pointed to the door, eyes narrowed. Sokka looked as well, taking on a similar expression.

There was light coming from behind the door.

Katara backed against the wall of the tunnel and pulled the cork from the water skin she kept hidden beneath her trench coat, strapped over her shoulder and hanging at the opposite hip. Sokka pulled his beloved handgun from his shoulder holster.

Two steps forward and Sokka kicked the door open. Barely a moment later, they were both through the doorway, Sokka with his boomerang pointed into the room, Katara with a water whip poised to strike. They both looked around quickly, only to find the room empty.

Nearly.

Katara corked her water skin, tilting her head in curiosity. This had once been quite a speakeasy, looking more like a full-fledged club than a cave beneath a pet shop. The light was coming from the remains of a giant chandelier hanging from the high ceiling. The place was as banged up as the pet shop above, card tables overturned, broken glass littering the bar and bandstand, trash strewn across the floor. But a fire was crackling in a giant stone grate on one wall, and sitting before it was a boy.

Katara took a step into the room, not sure if he was alive. He was sitting in an armchair, feet propped up on an overturned coffee table that was missing two legs. They appeared to be fueling the fire. The boy was wearing a suit that appeared old and a little too large. His hands were folded carelessly on his chest, which was rising and falling slowly, Katara was glad to see. His face was mostly covered by a ratty old fedora, also too large, with a yellowed playing card tucked into the band. A trench coat was bundled beneath his head like a pillow.

The young waterbender decided to bite the bullet and go wake him, but her brother stopped her as she tried to move closer. He narrowed his eyes at her, gesturing with his gun. Katara just rolled her eyes and strode past him, kneeling at the boy's side. Up close, she could see that he was probably very close to her age. She placed a hand hesitantly over his, still crossed on his chest, and gave him a brisk shake.

"Hey," she called quietly. "Rise and shine, pal."

Katara gasped as one of his hands moved suddenly, taking a firm grip on her wrist. The other hand went to his hat, lifting it away from his face to reveal bright grey eyes and short, unruly black hair. Peeking out from beneath his hairline was the tip of a pale blue tattoo in the shape of an arrow. He grinned at her.

"Morning, Dollface," he said lightly, his voice startling her. "Aren't you a sight for sore eyes."

Katara stared at him, a slight smile of amusement tugging at her lips. "Do I know you?" she asked in response, tugging her wrist free from his grip. She saw his eyes dart past her shoulder and realized Sokka was probably standing there, doing his best to look imposing.

"You don't know me, but I know you," the boy said, his voice cracking slightly from what could only be lack of use. He pointed to the wall beside the fireplace. "You guys have been my only company for nearly a year."

The siblings looked over where he was pointing. Faded wanted posters were tacked to the wall, and right in the center, Katara saw her own face smirking back at her.

"You're Hakoda's Kids," the boy continued, grinning as he sat up. "Riversiders. You were friends of the Aces, so you're friends of mine."

Katara looked at him in alarm. "You're an Ace?" she blurted.

"The one and only," he replied, holding out his hand. "The name's Aang." Katara took his hand to shake it, but he surprised her and pulled it to his lips. "And what might you call yourself?"

Katara laughed, rolling her eyes. "Aren't you the charmer," she said airily. He grinned, and she felt herself smiling back.

"Don't tell him your name," Sokka said abruptly. The two of them looked at him. Katara had forgotten he was there. "How do we know you're not a Dragon, huh?" Katara sighed, bracing herself for the inevitable. Sure enough, Sokka's boomerang was pointed straight at Aang's head a moment later.

"Could a Dragon do this?" Aang asked, and a moment later he was in the air on a powerful gust of wind.

Katara grinned, impressed, as he came floating back to his chair. "Airbender," she pointed out to her brother.

"A fly boy, huh?" Sokka asked, still suspicious. "Well… what are you doing down here?"

Aang looked around disinterestedly. Katara glanced at the floor she was sitting on. It was covered in newspaper. With a lurch of her stomach, she realized it was probably there to cover the bloodstains left by his family and friends.

"Surviving," Aang finally responded. Katara and Sokka didn't respond. "You still haven't told me your names, by the way."

"I'm Katara," she said before her brother could stop her. "And this is my brother, Sokka."

"Pleased to meet you," he said, bowing from his chair. Katara laughed a little. Sokka just glared. "So, what brings you to the Ace of Spades?"

"Well we _were_ making a delivery," Katara said pointedly, shooting a withering look at her brother. "But someone forgot to fill the tank."

"There's gas in the cellar," Aang said carelessly, settling himself back in his chair.

"And how!" Sokka finally smiled as he went running across the room to the back door. Katara remained kneeling at Aang's side. He glanced at her after several silent moments.

"See something you like?" he asked smoothly.

Katara just quirked an eyebrow at him. The smile slid from his face and she was surprised to see an embarrassed blush spread across his cheeks.

"Sorry," he said quietly. "That was rude."

Katara laughed slightly in amazement. "Wow, a sensitive guy," she said, impressed. "I haven't met one of your kind in years."

Aang let out what Katara could already identify as a fake laugh. "Sensitive? Please," he snorted. But he didn't seem to have anywhere to go from there. Katara grinned.

"I like sensitive guys," she said lightly.

Aang glanced at her, clearly unable to stop himself from smiling. "Really?"

Katara leaned toward him, and the blush reappeared on his face. "Really," she confirmed quietly. He swallowed. A few silent moments passed between them before Katara leaned back, glancing away from him. "Too bad you aren't one," she sighed nonchalantly.

Aang sat up abruptly. "Wait wait, did I say I wasn't sensitive? I was just pulling your leg, Dollface," he said hurriedly. "I'm a regular Ethel, ask anyone."

Katara frowned at him. "Who can I ask?" she said quietly. He looked away. "How long have you been alone down here, Aang?"

Aang shrugged, looking shrewdly into the fireplace. "About a year," he muttered. "Who's counting?"

"You've been here for a year?" Katara repeated quietly. He didn't respond. "How have you been holding up?"

"What do you mean?" Aang asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Well… there's a war going on up there," Katara said carefully. "The Dragons are taking over everything. Ever since they killed your gang, things have gotten pretty crazy. The Riversiders are all that stands between Boss Ozai and the rest of the city."

Aang remained silent. Katara reached forward hesitantly, placing her hand over his again.

"Aang, would you like to help Sokka and me with the shipment?" she asked quietly, smiling. "And then maybe… come back to the distillery with us?"

The young airbender looked at her in surprise. "Really? But… you just met me. And your brother doesn't trust me," he said frankly.

Katara smiled, squeezing his hand. "I trust you," she replied. "I want to help you."

"I don't need any help," he muttered.

"Okay, then I want to get to know you," she continued with a smile. "And that requires us to spend some time together."

"You want to stay down here?" Aang asked, grinning. "View's terrible, but the rent is free and you couldn't ask for a more sensitive roommate."

Katara laughed, and it was only a few moments before Aang joined her.

"I like your laugh," he said suddenly after several moments.

Katara tilted her head a little. "Come with me," she said quietly.

Aang looked at her steadily for a long time. Katara liked the way he looked at her. When she realized she was thinking that, she started to blush and glanced away.

"Okay," he said. She looked at him. "I'll come. Just as long as you don't have a problem with dogs."

"Dogs?"

"ARRGH!"

Katara jumped in surprise. Sokka came running into the room, a can of gas in his hands. Shortly after he entered, something large and furry came bowling after him. The big furry something trotted straight over to Katara, who laughed and reached up to pet him

"I don't have a problem with dogs at all," she replied, scratching the giant white and brown sheepdog behind the ears. He barked contentedly.

"Copacetic," Aang said with a grin.

"Not copacetic!" Sokka burst out, eyeing the dog edgily. "That thing attacked me."

"That thing is my dog, Appa," Aang replied good-naturedly.

"And he'll be coming with us, along with Aang," Katara added quickly as she got to her feet. "Well you have the gas, let's ankle!"

"Wait," Sokka snapped, stopping Katara in her tracks. He leveled a look at her. "Come again?"

"Aang's coming with us," she repeated coolly. She offered Aang a hand, which he took and pulled himself to his feet.

"Wrong," Sokka said immediately. He gestured toward the stairs with the gas can. "We're leaving."

"Sokka, he's an airbender," Katara snapped. "He can help us."

Sokka opened his mouth to respond, but seemed to have nothing to say.

"That's what I thought," Katara grinned triumphantly. "No use beating your gums when you know I'm right, is there?"

Sokka sighed in frustration. "Fine, he can come," he growled. "But he can only stay if he gets Dad's permission."

Katara smiled. "You're some kind of fella, Sokka," she said, clapping him on the shoulder. Sokka just grumbled at her.

"If I say 'copacetic' again, will I get in trouble?" Aang asked, grinning.

"Go right ahead," Katara replied, shooting her brother a look which he dutifully ignored.

"Copacetic," Aang repeated, still grinning as he put his hat on and pulled his wrinkled trench coat on. "Let's go, Buddy," he added to Appa as he made for the door. The dog gave a neutral woof and loped after him.

"He's an odd bird," Sokka said darkly.

"He's been here alone for a year," Katara said quietly. "All he could do was think about his family and friends getting killed. That's enough to make anyone a lot stranger than he is."

"I hate it when you're right," Sokka sighed, following Aang and Appa out the door. Katara smiled and went after them, pausing for a moment at the door to switch the lights off.

The last Ace walked out of the Ace of Spades.

* * *

_Tell me what you think. But please please be constructive, please._


	2. Chapter 2

_Thanks for all the reviews, I'm glad there's some interest._

_TRUMPET FANFARE. Here we have the triumphant entrance of Zuko. Or perhaps... not so triumphant..._

_Either way. Here's the site I was using to get my 20s lingo in the first chapter: http:// home(dot)earthlink(dot)net/7Edlarkins/slang(hyphen)pg(dot)htm. Hopefully it'll work. Not that you really need it anymore. I sort of forgot about the lingo this chapter. If we're lucky it won't be too noticeable._

_I digress. Here._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar_

* * *

CHAPTER 2

"Those things will kill you."

"I didn't ask for a diagnosis, Uncle."

Uncle Iroh shrugged, but kept a wary eye on his nephew as the perturbed young man paced back and forth, a cloud of smoke trailing behind him.

"They put tar in those," Iroh tried again.

"Urban legend," Zuko snapped, tossing his cigarette into a puddle.

"Oh no, it's true," Iroh replied shrewdly. "I've seen it done myself."

"Half the things you say are made up on the spot."

"Did your father tell you that?" Iroh asked delicately.

"Don't talk to me about him," Zuko shouted, fists clenched and smoking. Iroh held up his hands in a placating gesture.

"Hey, you're the one that brought him up," he said lightly, shrugging again.

"I did not!" Zuko shouted again. He let out a frustrated groan and turned abruptly away, running a hand through his shaggy black hair. "Quit messing with my head. I'm getting a migraine."

"Probably from that tar stick you were inhaling," Iroh muttered. Zuko turned on him, but his uncle just shrugged again.

"This is agonizing," Zuko growled. "I got the damn bum's rush. For months I've just been standing around. I need to get back in the Dragons, there's nothing to do on the outside."

"You could quit smoking," the older man suggested.

"Bull!" Zuko shouted. "All that comes out of your mouth, bull and more bull."

Iroh rolled his eyes. There was no reasoning with his nephew when he was in one of his tempers, so he just leaned back against the brick wall of the alley, crossed his legs on the crate he was using as a chair, and closed his eyes for a nap. The broken streetlight overhead began making an irritating buzzing noise. The old man sighed, annoyed.

"What am I supposed to do?" Zuko said at length, finally sounding as though he was cooling down.

"Am I allowed to speak?" Iroh asked sagely, opening one eye and giving his nephew a hard look.

"Yes," Zuko grumbled.

"What you want more than anything is to rejoin the Dragons and win back your father's respect," Iroh began, closing his eyes again. "A man does what he can to get what he wants. But a wise man does what he can within reason."

Zuko groaned again and plopped down on a crate beside his uncle. "That was remarkably unhelpful, Uncle," he grumbled.

"Find a way to win back your honor," Iroh said flatly.

"My honor?" Zuko repeated, staring at him. "Geez, where'd you come from, ancient China?"

"Oh, that's a good one," Iroh chuckled. "I haven't had a good laugh in a while."

Before Zuko could offer a scathing reply, a truck went roaring past the alley. Zuko jumped to his feet and looked after it.

"Did you see that, Uncle?" he hissed. "That truck was full of Riversiders."

"How many?"

"Three."

"I wouldn't say the truck was full of them, then. More like half-full."

"For crying out loud," Zuko snapped, rounding on the older man again. "The Chopper Boys are still working for me, right?"

"Only because your father told them to keep an eye on you," Iroh pointed out.

"Well go get them," Zuko said sharply. "We're going to follow that excuse for a truck right to one of those damned hidden entrances to the Southern Distillery."

"Gatecrashing," Iroh sighed, getting to his feet. "I'm glad society has come this far."

0000000

"Hey, can he hear us?" Sokka asked, glancing into the back of the Ford Flatbed where Aang was lying curled up next to his dog.

"No," Katara replied honestly, having ridden in the back of Sokka's "Susan" many a time. "Something to say?"

"Do you like him?" Sokka asked bluntly.

"What do you mean?" Katara replied calmly, though she felt her heart skip a beat for some reason.

"Is that why you brought him with us? You have a crush on him?" Sokka continued.

Katara glanced at him, laughing a little. "Please, Sokka, I just met him," she replied lightly.

"Hey, I don't pretend to understand the female mind," Sokka snapped. "But if that's why you invited him…"

"Sokka, he helped us with the delivery, he doesn't have anyone or anywhere to go back to," Katara said steadily. "When I look at him, all I see is a charming young man who could use a hand, whether he thinks so or not. Either way, he needs a friend."

Sokka was silent for a long time. "I've always thought you trust people too quickly," he muttered.

"I've always thought you take too long," Katara replied, smirking.

"So you just want to be his friend?"

"No," Katara replied easily. Her brother glanced sharply in her direction. "I want you to be his friend too."

Sokka sighed. "Katara…"

"Sokka, when are you going to learn that growing up outside of the Southern Distillery doesn't automatically make you a bad guy?" Katara snapped, now refusing to look at him.

"When someone proves me wrong," Sokka replied darkly.

"Well turn around, Sokka," Katara said sharply. "He's right here."

Sokka didn't turn. His hands tightened on the steering wheel and he frowned, angrily ignoring her as they approached the South Bridge. The truck trundled over the river and Katara glanced back, watching the city recede into the grey dawn sky.

The truck turned off the main road and down a path into the river basin. The forest closed around their heads and it wasn't long before a tall chain link fence appeared in the distance.

"Is he still sleeping?" Sokka asked lowly.

"Yes," Katara said without turning around.

"You didn't even look."

"I can tell."

Sokka shot her a pointed glance but didn't pursue the subject. As they approached the gate, Sokka waved to one of the guards and turned off the road. A path wove between the trees to one of the few hidden entrances scattered around the grounds of the distillery.

"I don't want him to know where the entrances are," Sokka grumbled.

"He's sleeping," Katara said, sounding irritated. Sokka ignored her, getting out of the truck to drag back a section of fence. It was hidden among the trees and no one had found it yet without being told.

"Pull in," he called, gesturing through the hole in the fence.

Katara saluted and shifted into the driver's seat, hitting the gas rather enthusiastically and making Sokka shout at her. She simply smiled, continuing down the lane so Sokka had to chase after her and jump into the back with Aang.

"Would you be careful, leadfoot?" he shouted angrily, pulling himself into the bed of the truck. Aang grumbled and sat up.

"Why all the yelling?" he yawned. He blinked at Sokka. "If you're back here, who's driving?"

"The insane waterbender," Sokka muttered mutinously. Aang glanced up into the cab of the truck. Katara seemed to be enjoying herself as she tore recklessly through the forest. Aang smiled and lied back down, folding his hands behind his head.

"Attagirl," he laughed.

Sokka shook his head. "Women drivers…" he grumbled.

"We're here," Katara called so they could hear her as the forest abruptly ended and the many heaped together buildings of the distillery came into view, looming out of the morning mist from the nearby river. The buildings were of all shapes and sizes and appeared to have been built at different times. The nearest building had a line of trucks parked against the wall. Katara parked Susan alongside all the others and jumped out. Aang was right behind her, Appa at his heels.

Katara smiled and grabbed Aang's hand. "Come on, I'll show you around," she said, and Aang grinned in excitement.

"Hold it right there," Sokka said abruptly, stopping the two of them in their tracks. "He has to meet Dad first."

Katara stared at him. "Sokka," she began slowly.

"Nobody is allowed at the Southern Distillery without Dad's permission," Sokka said before she could continue. Katara opened her mouth to protest, but found she had no argument. Sokka grinned triumphantly. "Follow me," Sokka continued airily, giving Aang a push as he passed him. The three of them made their way past several buildings before entering one of the smaller ones. Katara closed the door behind them and they all found themselves in a long hallway.

"What's the big deal?" Aang asked quietly as he and Katara followed several yards behind Sokka. Katara seemed much less calm.

"Okay, you'll get through this easily enough if you get on his good side fast," she said hurriedly, keeping her voice low enough so only Aang could hear. "Keep eye contact with him, or he'll think you're shifty. I don't exactly know what that means, but it's never been good before so… don't be shifty. Um… don't say anything unless he asks you a question… or he pauses for a while and gives you this look which means he's waiting for you to say something. In that case, you better talk fast or he'll think you're stupid. That's… that's never a good thing. He doesn't like stupid people."

"I don't think anyone does," Aang replied lightly.

"Aang," Katara sighed in frustration.

"Katara, don't get yourself in a lather," Aang laughed a little. "You're making me nervous."

"You're about to meet Hakoda," Katara said firmly. "You realize that, don't you?"

"Don't worry about it, Dollface," Aang replied easily. "I'm great with parents."

Katara paused for a moment, trying to work out what he had just said. "Wait… what?" she began, but then she realized what he meant. "Hey, that's not why you're meeting him you idiot!"

Aang laughed and sped up as she ran to catch up with him. They didn't realize they had just run into the bar. Aang ran right into Sokka and Katara laughed in triumph, punching him in the arm. Sokka cleared his throat and the two of them looked up.

The bar was completely silent, though there were only around ten people in it. Several were sitting around one of the few card tables within the sconce-lit room. This bar was just for the Riversiders, so it didn't need to be very large. The air was smoky and warm from all the cigarettes and cigars this room had seen. The fully stocked bar on the right side of the room housed to the rest of the occupants.

One of them was Hakoda, leaning back against the bar and giving his daughter a hard look. Every eye in the bar was on them.

"Oh," Katara said under her breath.

"Oops," Aang muttered.

"Hello, children," Hakoda said slowly. "And who might this be?"

Sokka rolled his eyes and stepped aside. "She did it," he said dully, pointing at Katara.

Katara shoved her brother as she walked past and took a seat next to her father, pulling Aang down beside her.

"Dad, this is Aang," she said. "I invited him here."

"No," Hakoda said immediately.

"What?" Katara asked tonelessly.

"You're only sixteen," Hakoda replied shrugging. "You're too young to date."

Aang sat up a little straighter, grinning at her. Katara blushed, mortified.

"No, no, Dad," she groaned. "That's not why I… that's not… he's not… we're… aw jeez…" She shook her head. "He's an Ace, Dad."

Hakoda looked genuinely surprised, if only for a moment. Suddenly he was looking at Aang with much more interest.

"Where?" he said simply.

"Ace of Spades," Aang replied.

Hakoda nodded. "I was a friend of Gyatso's."

"I know. I think we met once."

Hakoda frowned. But then he seemed to remember, because he actually smiled a little. "Oh yeah, you're Gyatso's boy," he said. "Some kind of airbending prodigy, if I remember correctly."

"That's me," Aang said, smiling.

"Well shit, I'm glad to see you survived," Hakoda got to his feet and clapped Aang on the shoulder. Katara exhaled in relief. He turned to her. "I approve."

Aang grinned again and Katara buried her face in her hands, groaning.

0000000

"So how did you survive, Aang?"

Katara, Sokka, and Aang all paused, glancing at Hakoda. He had taken them to a bright little diner at the edge of the city for breakfast. The far south and north parts of the city tended to be neutral ground. They were so close to Riversider territory, the Dragons hadn't gotten there yet.

"Well… when Gyatso got wind of the attack, he told me to hide," Aang said quietly, trying to sound like it didn't matter. "I told him I wouldn't, so he knocked me out I guess. When I woke up, I was in a hidden cellar under the bandstand. I went up into the club, and they were all gone." He paused for a moment when Katara took his hand under the table. She wasn't looking at him, silently eating her toast, so he continued. "Um… some of the Dragons had already looted the place and collected the uh… bodies." She squeezed his hand. "But the um… hidden cellar was stocked with food and stuff, so I just um…" Her hand in his was getting distracting. "I settled in and then… Katara and Sokka found me."

"So you were there alone for a year?" Hakoda asked simply. Katara wasn't surprised her father could be so straightforward talking about things like this. He'd been like that for about six years now. Ever since…

Aang cleared his throat. Katara glanced at him. He wasn't looking at her, but then she realized she was squeezing his hand. She let go quickly, blushing a little and returning her focus to her plate.

"Um, yeah," Aang replied quickly. "Just kind of… surviving."

"Understandably," Hakoda consented. "Well, you're welcome in my house."

Sokka and Katara looked up at him. Sokka didn't look completely convinced but he would never argue with his father. Katara smiled and started on her scrambled eggs.

"Thank you, Hakoda," Aang said, reaching over the table to shake his hand. "I really appreciate it."

"Well, my daughter seems to like you," Hakoda said simply. "And my son hasn't protested too much."

"But Dad," Sokka blurted. "He could be a spy."

Hakoda gave his son a long look. "A spy with airbender tattoos?" he asked, grabbing Aang's hand and shoving it under Sokka's nose so he could see the arrow on the back of his hand.

"You seem to like hands in this family," Aang muttered. Katara took a drink of her orange juice to stifle her laughter. Aang smiled, apparently satisfied that he had made her laugh.

"Just yours," Katara replied lightly after a moment. Aang laughed. She smiled.

"Do you approve of this baloney?" Sokka asked dully, shoving Aang's hand out of his face.

"They're kids, Sokka," Hakoda said, leaning back in his seat and taking a swig of his coffee. "They flirt a little, so what? I thought I was supposed to be the overprotective one."

"You told me to protect her," Sokka snapped.

Hakoda thought about it for a second. "I was right. Protect your sister," he said, starting in on his omelet. Sokka sighed and did the same.

"You know, Aang," Hakoda said after several silent moments. "Gyatso told me something that I don't know if you're aware of. Something about you."

Aang looked up at him. "What?" he asked politely.

"It's not something to be taken lightly," Hakoda replied seriously. "I don't want to tell you unless you think you're ready. This could change your life."

Aang smiled. "I could do with some change," he said frankly.

"Well kid, I don't know how to put this, so I'll just say it," Hakoda said steadily. "You're the Avatar."

Three pairs of eyes fixed on Hakoda.

"What?" Aang replied emotionlessly.

"Dad, please," Sokka snorted. "The Avatar is a myth. A story told to little kids so they'll stop crying."

"That's all I've ever heard of it," Aang admitted.

"I always liked that story," Katara said, smiling.

"It's not just a story," Hakoda said, leaning back again. "I used to think it was until I met Gyatso. The Avatar used to be a powerful force. Stopped wars, started colonies, saved the world. But somewhere along the line, one Avatar died and the next was never found. People thought the spirit had died off."

"Spirit, Dad?" Sokka asked doubtfully. "There aren't any spirits."

"Of course there are," Katara snapped. "Where do you think bending comes from?"

"Anyway," Hakoda said loudly, cutting his children off. "The spirit didn't die. We just lost track of it for a while. And according to Gyatso, you're it."

Aang stared at him. "Right," he said slowly.

"Have you ever met someone for the first time but felt like you knew them already?" Hakoda asked abruptly. "Ever felt a lot older than you are? Ever felt like airbending is just the beginning?"

Aang didn't reply. Katara and Sokka stared.

"How could Gyatso possibly know?" Katara asked lowly. "I mean… if the Avatar hasn't been around for a couple hundred years…"

"Several hundred," Hakoda corrected. Katara didn't feel the need to continue. "I don't know how Gyatso found out, but I would believe anything that man told me."

"Oh that's convincing," Sokka muttered. Hakoda slapped him upside the head.

"I'll um… need some time to think about this," Aang said quietly after several moments.

"Okay," Hakoda nodded, tossing a few bills on the table. "Let's head home."

Aang followed the family silently out of the diner.


	3. Chapter 3

_The third chapter cometh._

_Thanks again for the reviews, I'm glad the idea isn't a total flop. I'm really starting to enjoy it from this point on. And by it, I mean the idea. I don't know if I'm communicating it well. But I'm working on it, right?_

_Here's hoping you guys catch the parallels to the show. It's basically the same plot, just some stuff rearranged and done a little differently. And etcetera. _

_Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar_

* * *

CHAPTER 3

Sokka and Hakoda got out of the truck first, leaving Katara in the passenger seat and Aang in the back. She glanced back and saw he wasn't moving. She got quietly out of her seat and leaned against the side of the truck beside him.

"This isn't a very good place to think," she said quietly. He looked at her in surprise. She tilted her head to the side. "Come on, follow me."

Aang didn't reply as he got to his feet and followed her. They walked in silence around the outside of the distillery. She led him away from the buildings and back into the forest, afternoon sunlight streaming through the leaves. It wasn't long until they were back by the fence, but this time it was bordering the river. Katara took a quick look around before pulling back a small section that she had to duck to get through. Aang followed her quickly.

"This is where I always come to think," Katara said quietly, moving away from the fence. She led him several yards away to a grassy space on the ridge of the steep bank down to the river. She sat down and Aang took a seat beside her. "I used to come here with my mother." She fell silent after she said it as though she was surprised it had come out of her mouth.

"Where is she?" Aang asked.

"She was killed six years ago," Katara replied abruptly.

"I'm sorry," Aang said after a few moments, sounding sincere but not embarrassed. Katara was grateful for that.

"It was a long time ago," she said simply. Aang glanced at her. She hadn't said it was okay, or that she was over it. She hadn't thanked him or said she was sorry too. She had just said it was a long time ago. So maybe the pain of loss faded after a while. Aang smiled, seeing Katara as less of a pretty face and more of a kindred spirit, someone who could understand what he was going through.

Katara reached up and tugged back the collar of her shirt, revealing a simple blue necklace with a hand-carved charm hanging from it. "This was hers," she said quietly. "I wear it to remind me."

Aang lifted his hat off his head and handed it to her. "See that card?" he said, pointing. Katara turned the fedora so she could see the playing card stuck under the band. It was a tattered old ace of spades. "That was from Gyatso's first game of poker when he was a kid. He kept it in his hat for good luck."

"This was his hat?" Katara asked, turning the old hat in her hands and looking at it with infinite understanding.

Aang nodded. "I wear it to remind me." Katara turned and smiled at him.

"Well then you better hang onto it, Sparky," she said warmly, reaching over and placing it on his head. Aang grinned and tugged the brim further down over his eyes.

"Sparky?" he repeated.

"I think it suits you," she replied airily.

"The name or the hat?"

Katara laughed. She stopped after a moment, looking at him curiously. "How old are you?"

"Fifteen," Aang replied, looking out at the wide river. "You?"

"Sixteen," she said quickly, waving off the question. "Ever feel older?"

Aang stopped and looked at her. "Sometimes," he admitted quietly.

"Kind of hard to believe, isn't it?" she said after several moments. "Finding the Avatar after all these years."

"Hard to believe, yeah," he sighed. "But I feel like it's probably true."

"Me too," she said lightly. He glanced at her again. "There's something about you, Sparky. I could tell the second I walked into the Ace of Spades."

"So what do I do with this information?" Aang sighed.

"Well… the Avatar is supposed to bring balance to the world, right?" Katara began slowly. "So maybe you can help us bring balance to the city." She looked down. "I wasn't lying when I told you a war was going on, Aang. The Dragons aren't just bootleggers anymore. Not like the rest of us. They're more interested in killing everyone in their path. Doesn't matter if they deserve it or not. Someone has to stop them, and right now the Riversiders are the only ones trying."

"So you want me to help the resistance?" Aang asked after several moments, smiling.

"If you want to," Katara replied, shrugging. "I mean… you've lost the most. If anyone's got a beef with the Dragons, it's you. Maybe it'll be good for you."

"Maybe."

The two of them sat in silence for a long time, watching the sunlit river roll by. It was Aang who finally broke the quiet.

"Sokka said you're a waterbender."

"Yep. Mastered it when I was fourteen."

"Could you teach me?"

Katara smiled at him. "Sure thing, Sparky," she said, nodding. "We can start tomorrow."

"Nifty," Aang sighed, leaning back and folding his hands behind his head. Katara did the same, smiling a little in relaxation. "You're right, this is a good place to think."

0000000

"How long are we going to sit here?"

Zuko shot a glance at Jee, the leader of the Chopper Boys. He wasn't technically a boy at all. He was probably in his late forties, Zuko thought as he glowered at him

"Until we find another Riversider to follow," Zuko snapped.

Jee shrugged and leaned back against a tree trunk, pulling his hat down over his eyes for a nap. The rest of the Chopper Boys were sitting around in similar states of retire, as was Iroh. Zuko was the only one pacing around the forest floor as the afternoon light began to wane.

"Relax, nephew," Iroh sighed. "A man needs his rest."

"I'm fine," Zuko grumbled, not pausing in his pacing. Iroh shrugged a little and fell silent.

0000000

"Katara."

"Five more minutes," she muttered in her sleep.

"Katara, wake up."

The young waterbender yawned and opened her eyes. The sun had ceased giving off its bright noon light, leaving everything slightly grey. But something was off. It was usually getting colder this time of day, yet she was still warm.

That was when Katara realized her head was on someone's shoulder, her hand on someone's chest. And that someone was looking at her with a pair of eyes the same color as the day.

"Oh," was all she could muster.

"Sleep okay?" Aang asked, smirking.

"Uh-huh," she replied. They were nearly nose-to-nose. She suddenly found it rather hard to breathe.

Katara sat up quickly, blushing and running a hand through her hair. They were still on that grassy riverbank. They must have fallen asleep.

"Uh… sorry," she muttered.

"No need to apologize," Aang sighed, resettling himself on the ground and smiling up at her. "I was pretty comfortable."

Katara blushed again and looked away from him, embarrassed. "Look… Aang… I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention this to anyone," she said quietly.

"What, you weren't comfortable?" Aang asked, pretending to be offended.

"No, actually I…" she bit her lip to stop herself from talking. "Uh… it's just that… Sokka has a gun."

"You think he'd shoot you?"

Katara snorted with laughter. "I'm not worried about me, Sparky," she said frankly. "It won't matter to him that you're the Avatar. And he aims low."

"Oh," Aang said tonelessly. "Gotcha. Consider it forgotten."

"Thank you," she sighed. She looked around. "How long have we been sleeping?"

"Well you've been sleeping for a bit longer than me," Aang said lightly. "You were asleep for about fifteen minutes before me and I was awake for like half an hour before I woke you."

Katara looked at him, quirking an eyebrow. "You were watching me sleep?"

Aang nodded, completely unabashed. "You're like a cat when you sleep. You just curl up next to the nearest warm thing you can find. It's kind of cute," he said, grinning.

She stared at him.

"What?" he asked innocently.

Katara laughed, flustered. "Okay, I think it's time to go back inside," she said lightly, edging away from him slightly and getting to her feet. He smirked, standing up beside her and brushing the grass off his back. He reached over to do the same for her, but she sidestepped him skittishly.

"Sorry, kinda jumpy," she laughed nervously, brushing herself off.

"Apparently," Aang replied, looking at her curiously.

She shrugged and stepped back toward the fence, but Aang beat her to it and pulled the loose section back for her. She ducked through and he followed her, him smiling in a rather self-satisfied way and her feeling rather as though she had missed a step going down a flight of stairs.

0000000

"Hey, Zuko, I think I found something that might interest you."

Zuko and the Chopper Boys looked up. Zuko had finally stopped pacing and was sitting against a tree with everybody else. One of the Chopper Boys' legs had fallen asleep so he had gone walking. Now he was back, apparently with interesting news.

"What?" Zuko sighed, bored.

"Follow me, quick," the Chopper replied. They all got to their feet and followed him. He pressed a finger to his lips as they neared the river. He pointed along the fence. Zuko squinted.

Two people were asleep on the riverbank. One was unmistakably a Riversider. In fact, Zuko was pretty sure he recognized her from a wanted poster. But the other one didn't look like a Riversider. Either way, they looked pretty comfortable. Zuko moved a step closer and a twig snapped under his foot. He froze when the girl moved, but she just shifted closer to the boy's side.

"Well isn't that adorable," Iroh said quietly. Zuko glanced at him. The old man was grinning wistfully. He caught sight of Zuko staring at him. "What?"

Zuko just shook his head. They all retreated into the trees and settled in to wait for the young strangers to wake up. It wasn't long before the boy woke up, but he seemed content to wait for the girl to wake up herself. As the sun sank below the trees and a chill settled into the air, however, the boy chose to wake her. Zuko watched disinterestedly as they talked, one embarrassed and the other enjoying himself immensely. Zuko hadn't been like that at their age, he knew. There were bigger things to worry about when your father was Boss Ozai.

"Did you hear that?" Jee hissed. "That girl just called that boy the Avatar."

Zuko's eyes widened. One did, anyway. "No… it couldn't be…" he murmured. As a child, Zuko had heard his father talking about the Avatar at length. He was worried by recently acquired information that the Avatar might actually still exist. Azula had always said the Avatar was just a fairy tale, but apparently it wasn't. After a few years with no proof, however, the matter left Boss Ozai's mind.

But here he was. The Avatar. To get his honor back… he could bring his father the Avatar.

"A hole in the fence," Iroh said suddenly. Zuko snapped back to reality in time to see the girl and boy dragging a small section of fence back into place. "How deceptively simple."

"Come on, we're going after the Avatar," Zuko said abruptly, stalking forward and ripping back the loose section of fence.

"Is he serious?" Jee asked under his breath.

"My nephew isn't known for his sense of humor," Iroh sighed, following Zuko to the hole in the fence.

0000000

"Where have you been?" Sokka demanded when Katara walked into the kitchen of their small house on the distillery grounds.

"I was with Aang," she muttered, avoiding eye contact with him.

"Oh really, I never would have guessed," Sokka replied, rolling his eyes. Katara pulled an apple from the pantry and leaned against the counter.

"What's it to you?" she asked at length.

"He likes you," he replied sourly.

"No he doesn't," she snapped.

"He can't take his eyes off you."

"He just thinks I'm pretty," she replied steadily. "I'm the first girl he's seen in a year, any boy would think I'm pretty." She glanced at him. "Except you. That's illegal."

"Gross," Sokka said flatly.

Katara shrugged. "You know I'm right," she continued in a sing-song voice.

"I dunno," Sokka muttered, squinting at his sandwich. "I've seen the way he looks at you."

Katara glanced away. "It's nothing, Sokka," she said quietly. "I told you, he just thinks he likes me because he likes the way I look."

"That seems like a good reason to stay away from him," Sokka pointed out.

"But we're friends," she blurted, getting frustrated. "Look, Sokka, it's all in your head. He doesn't like me like that, and I don't like him like that."

"Really," Sokka said flatly. "Where is he?"

"He went to get Appa," she replied instantly.

"See? How did you know that?"

Katara leveled a hard look at him. "He just told me before I came in here," she answered angrily, throwing the apple core at her brother and stomping out of the kitchen.

Their house wasn't really much of a house. It blended in with the rest of the buildings, though it was set slightly apart. There were four bedrooms, a kitchen, two bathrooms and a cellar. It was just enough to eat and sleep. Everything else had to be done either in the city or elsewhere in the distillery.

But Katara chose to go to her room, feeling her time wouldn't be better spent anywhere else. However, upon walking through the door she froze. Her room was occupied.

"What are you doing?" she asked immediately out of instinct.

Aang turned and looked at her, smiling. "Getting to know you," he said lightly, gesturing at the small room around him. "You grew up here. I can sort of… feel you. Like you've left some of yourself on everything here."

Katara stared at him. She glanced around her room. It was basically just a bed and a chest of drawers. But there were all kinds of little things she'd collected piled on the dresser, and her walls were covered with old pictures from the newspaper, feathers and dried leaves she'd found in the forest, bits of paper with little watercolor landscapes, sketches and pages ripped from books. She smiled faintly, looking up at the mobile she'd made from broken shards of pottery when she was young. Maybe some of her was in this room.

The thought of Aang standing in here, looking at her life pinned up to these walls, made her a little nervous for some reason.

"If Sokka catches us in here we're in for it," she blurted, inwardly cursing rather viciously at herself for saying something so stupid.

"It's like walking on broken glass with him, isn't it?" Aang laughed frankly. "Did you have a bad experience with a previous boyfriend?"

Katara glanced sharply at him. He sounded a little too nonchalant. He was testing the waters, she thought with a smirk. Seeing where she stood when it came to boys.

"Well… to be completely honest with you… he has reason to be suspicious," she admitted with a sigh. "A couple years ago I met this guy named Jet. He kind of swept me off my feet." Aang was frowning when she looked at him next. "But he ended up being a jerk and Sokka was the one that figured it out first. To my eternal shame."

Aang paused, glancing out the window. "…Did he…" he began tentatively.

Katara smiled, touched by his concern. "I never even kissed the guy, if you want to know the truth," she answered frankly. "But uh… enough about my lack of love life. Come on, I'll show you to your room."

Appa joined them in the hallway outside Katara's room. She couldn't help but notice that Aang was unaccountably relieved by the change of subject. She smiled and pulled him across the hallway into the guest room.

"Why do you have an extra bedroom?" Aang asked as he took a seat on the bed. Katara strayed over to the window.

"My parents were planning on having another child," she said quietly, trailing off.

"I never had any brothers and sisters," Aang said after a few moments, joining her at the window. "I never had any real parents, now that I think about it."

Katara looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"Gyatso found me on the streets when I was three," he said with a shrug. "I don't remember anything before that. So Gyatso basically became my dad."

Katara nodded, not sure how to respond or even if she should. She reached toward him to put a hand on his shoulder, but an explosion rocked the tiny house and Sokka started shouting.

Katara was out the door in seconds, Aang hot on her heels. They both skidded to a stop upon reaching the kitchen. Sokka had his handgun out, pointed dead between the eyes of an unfamiliar young man, both fists blazing with flames. Several older men stood behind him, some with Tommy guns and some with flaming fists like the first boy. Aang and Katara both stepped back, startled, when the first boy turned to look at them. His left eye was covered by a dark scar stretching all the way over his ear.

"Who the hell are you?" Katara snapped, and she immediately had several gun barrels pointed in her direction. Aang stepped forward impulsively, but she took him by the arm to stop him.

"That's none of your concern," the boy said coolly. Sokka backed toward them, gun still trained diligently on the boy's face. "Just hand over the Avatar and I won't burn this pitiful excuse for a house to the ground."

"Not a chance," Katara growled.

"You want him, you have to go through us," Sokka snarled, stepping between Aang and the boy.

"Then you leave me no choice."

"Zuko, maybe you should think this through," an old man said through gritted teeth as he edged his way toward the boy.

"Be quiet, Uncle," Zuko snapped. "Gentlemen, you know how this works."

"Stop," Aang shouted. "I'll come with you." He pushed past Katara and Sokka, who both caught him by an arm.

"Don't even think about it, Sparky," Katara warned.

"These guys are Dragons," Sokka said darkly. "You're not going anywhere."

"I appreciate the concern, guys," Aang said steadily. "But this is your home." He looked at Sokka. "Be reasonable."

Sokka looked down and let go of his arm. Katara held on. Aang looked at her sadly. He lifted his hat off his head and placed it on Katara's. "Hold on to that for me," he said quietly. "And take care of Appa."

Sokka grabbed Katara's shoulders and pulled her away from the airbender's side. Aang stepped forward and Zuko grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, shoving him out the door. It slammed behind them and they were gone.

Katara stood perfectly still, Sokka's hands still heavy on her shoulders. She was very aware of Gyatso's hat on her head, practically falling over her eyes.

"Oh…" she breathed after a long silence. Sokka watched her warily. Her breath started to come rather quickly. Suddenly, she lunged toward the door, held back only by Sokka's arms around her waist. "Aang!"

"Katara, calm down," Sokka said through gritted teeth, panting from the effort of holding her back. "We're going after him."

She stopped struggling and looked at him, breathing hard. "What? I thought you didn't like him."

Sokka shrugged. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend," he said simply. Katara smiled at him. "Come on, we're going to save your boyfriend."

"He's not my-"

"Whatever."


	4. Chapter 4

_I'm not gonna lie. I rather enjoyed this chapter._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar_

* * *

CHAPTER 4

"What in blazes is going on here?" Hakoda roared as he stomped toward the house, a rather large and ferocious-looking gun in his hands.

Katara and Sokka passed him as they ran out of the house, Katara strapping her water skin to her side and Sokka tucking his boomerang back into his shoulder holster.

"No time to talk," Sokka called as they passed him, but he caught them both by their elbows and dragged them to a stop.

"Why are you wearing Aang's hat?" Hakoda asked steadily after a few moments. At that moment, Appa came bounding after them, barking and snarling and running around them in circles.

"Some Dragons got in, Dad," Sokka said darkly. "I don't know how, but they did. They know Aang's the Avatar, and they took him."

"Dragons?" Hakoda repeated. "In my distillery?" He turned on the group of Riversiders following him to the source of the calamity. "Unacceptable!" he roared, releasing Sokka and Katara. "Come with me, all of you. We're going to find out how they got in and prevent any more from following."

"No," Katara said fiercely.

Hakoda looked at her in surprise. Sure, his daughter was hot-blooded. Just like her mother. But she rarely disobeyed a direct order.

"We're going after Aang," she said firmly. She glanced at Sokka for backup, but he didn't say anything. She scowled. "Or at least… I am."

"No, I am too," Sokka blurted. "I told you we'd go after him together." Katara smiled at him rather miserably.

Hakoda looked at them for a long time. He bent down so he could look them both in the eye. "If your mother was alive," he began slowly. He looked at Katara. "She would tell you that your destiny is with the Avatar." For some reason, the young waterbender had the feeling he had been speaking just to her. "Go on then. If you come back without that kid, you're in big trouble, got it?"

Katara smiled brightly and took off running without another word. Sokka did a double take.

"Hey, wait up!"

In a matter of minutes, Susan was roaring toward the gate of the distillery property.

0000000

"You know, this truck isn't nearly as nice as Sokka's," Aang pointed out from the back of the Choppers' pickup truck. This wasn't true, but Aang felt the need to say it anyway. His hands were tied behind his back, his ankles tied together, his arms tied to his sides, and he was in no mood to be polite to people who threatened Sokka and Katara.

Nobody responded, but the older man known as Uncle Iroh smirked slightly in his nephew's direction. Zuko was sitting shotgun, Jee was driving, and the rest of the Choppers were in the back with Aang and Iroh.

"So you're Uncle Iroh," Aang said after a lengthy silence.

"I am," Iroh replied.

"I've heard of you," Aang continued lightly. "You're Boss Ozai's older brother."

"Guilty."

Aang nodded, falling silent for a while. "I'm Aang," he offered at length.

Iroh smiled. "Nice to meet you, Aang," he said, inclining his head respectfully. "That was a noble thing you did for your friends."

Aang shrugged. "They've been kind to me," he said simply.

"The girl called you Sparky."

"She did."

"Mean anything?"

"Not really. She just said it suits me."

"She's pretty."

"Very."

"Uncle, stop talking to the captive," Zuko snapped.

Iroh rolled his eyes, smirking.

"You're very easy to talk to, Uncle Iroh," Aang said politely. Iroh nodded in return.

"Do you hear something?" Jee asked suddenly.

That was all the warning they got before a truck came blazing out of the forest to their right, smashing them clean off the road.

"Sorry Susan," Sokka sighed, pounding the pedal to the floor and pushing the other truck further into the woods. He only let up when the Choppers' truck was sandwiched between Susan and a particularly stubborn tree.

The forest fell silent. Hakoda's Kids jumped out of the truck, Katara brushing herself off primly and straightening Gyatso's hat on her head, Sokka giving his trench coat a shake and calmly pulling his handgun from its holster. Katara stepped forward, not waiting for the dust to clear. Sokka gave her a leg up into the back of the partially crushed truck. There were seven people in the back, two of which were conscious.

Aang coughed and blinked, trying to see through the dust. As it cleared, however, a welcome face appeared before him.

"Hey, Sparky," she said calmly, her voice like cool water on his throbbing head. She smiled easily, pulling a knife from her boot and setting to work on the ropes binding him. "Miss me?"

"Dollface, I've been pining," Aang laughed weakly. She lifted the tattered fedora from her head and clamped it over his.

"You should hold onto that," she whispered, grinning at him as she freed his hands. He smiled and she took him by the wrists, pulling him to his feet. He stumbled forward slightly, but she caught him and pulled his arm over her shoulders. They jumped out of the truck together. "Come on, we're taking you home."

"Wait," Aang said suddenly, glancing back at the truck. "Something's wrong…" Aang peered through the clearing dust. The cab of the truck was empty.

"Augh!"

Aang felt himself being wrenched away from Katara and found himself on the ground moments later. He turned and sat up as quickly as he could manage, still dazed from the crash.

Jee had Sokka in a headlock, Tommy gun pressed to his temple. Zuko had fastened one arm around Katara's neck, the other around her ribcage. Sokka had decided to take the high road and wasn't moving. Katara, to her credit, was doing nothing but moving. Zuko was clearly having trouble keeping a grip on her as she swung and kicked as much as she could manage. She was making a great deal of noise too, growling and snarling, uttering a string of vicious curses the likes of which Aang had never heard.

"Nice try," Zuko shouted over Katara's one-girl uproar. "Your little River Trash pals just made a big mistake, didn't they Avatar?"

"Just let them go, Zuko," Aang said tiredly.

"Aang," Katara shouted, her voice tight from lack of air. "Just go, will you? We can take this guy, he's a pushover-"

Zuko tightened his hold on her and she stopped talking, reverting back to snarling and kicking.

"Want me to hurt her, Avatar?" Zuko shouted. "Do you? Because you're pushing it."

Katara gasped. Zuko's hands had begun to smoke.

"Aang," Sokka barked. "Go, we'll be fine."

Aang wavered on the spot, fists clenched and eyes glued to Katara.

She gritted her teeth, trying to reach back and stomp on Zuko's foot, but more smoke began wafting from his hands and they were growing painfully hot.

"Aang!" she finally shouted, unable to hold it in any longer. It was a cry for help, though she would never admit it.

Aang blinked. Katara and Sokka gasped. Zuko's eyes widened and Jee let go of Sokka in surprise. Aang's eyes weren't grey anymore. They were glowing.

"Let her go," he commanded, his voice layered with what sounded like a thousand other voices that didn't belong to him. Zuko released Katara immediately, but it was too late. Aang, or what used to be Aang, launched himself forward on a powerful blast of wind, driving Zuko straight into the trunk of a tree.

"What happened to him?" Katara shouted over the roar of the wind, rubbing her sore neck. She was on her knees where Zuko had dropped her and Sokka was crouched beside her, shielding his eyes with his arm.

"I don't know," Sokka shouted back. "Maybe it's an Avatar thing."

"Of course, the Avatar State," Katara muttered. That had always been a part of the stories her mother told her. "It's the previous Avatars. They take over when the Avatar is in extreme stress or danger. They're defending…" She paused, eyes fixed on Aang as he rose into the air. "Me."

She got unsteadily to her feet, the powerful wind pushing her in several directions at once.

"Aang!" she shouted over the wind. "Aang, do you hear me?"

Zuko was slumped against the tree trunk and Aang was suspended in a sphere of wind before him. She didn't know what he was going to do, but it probably wasn't good. She lunged forward, securing a hand around his ankle.

"Aang, stop," she called, now in the middle of the raging storm. He turned his fierce, glowing gaze to her, but she didn't falter. She just scowled up at him.

"Cut it out, Sparky," she snapped. "You'll wreck your hat."

The wind stopped as abruptly as it came. He dropped to his feet and stumbled into her, but she didn't budge, catching him by his shoulders. He blinked rapidly, focusing on her face with some difficulty. Her eyes were wide with fear and she looked pale.

"You okay?" she whispered.

"Baby," he laughed blearily. "I've never been better."

And with that, he slumped forward, unconscious. By some miracle she managed to stay on her feet, supporting his dead weight.

"Uh… Sokka?" she called. "A little help?"

0000000

Humming… someone was humming nearby. There was a girl who came to the Spades when he was young. She hummed the same song.

"Katara."

The young waterbender glanced over. She was sitting on the window seat in Aang's bedroom, starlight dusting her with silver, while he slept on his bed. His eyes were still closed, but she could tell he was awake.

"Don't stop," he said, smiling.

"What?"

"The song," he sighed. "I know the song."

"My mother used to sing it to me," she replied. "It helped me sleep. How do you know it?"

"I knew you. I know you."

Katara frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Your father brought you to the Spades seven years ago," he continued comfortably. "You met Gyatso, I met Hakoda, and we met each other."

Katara's eyes widened. "That was… you…" she murmured.

"You were humming that song," Aang closed his eyes again, smiling. "And I asked you about it. You said-"

"It's a love song," she laughed. "And you asked me to sing it for you." She laughed again. "My my, Sparky, you were a little heartbreaker back then, too."

"You never did sing it for me," he sighed wistfully.

"No, but when I turned you down you started pouting, if I remember correctly," Katara replied, quirking an eyebrow at him. He shrugged. "So I told you I'd give you one wish if you stopped being such a whiner." He smirked again. "You stole my first kiss, Sparky."

"I didn't steal it," Aang protested. "You gave me a wish. I wished to kiss you. It was completely self-inflicted."

"So now you're calling your lips an infliction?" she wheedled. Aang flushed. "Well geez, Sparky. That's not going to get you very far." She got to her feet and stretched her arms over her head, very aware of his eyes glued to her. She glanced at him over her shoulder. "Glad you're feeling better."

And with that, she walked out the door. Aang whipped his hat off his head and covered his face with it, growling a string of curses into the tattered lining.

Katara stopped outside his door, taking a deep breath. It was nothing, this rapid beating of her heart. She was just excited to find that little boy she had been friends with for one day and never forgotten. She was just glad he had woken up after nearly two hours of unconsciousness. She was just…

She frowned and swept off down the hallway. She was just not falling for him. Not falling for him. No way. Not in a million years.

Half way down the hall, she started humming her love song.

0000000

Iroh sat recumbent in the crushed bed of the truck, thinking he could really go for a pot of tea right now. Luckily it was a rather temperate night, no clouds, all crickets and moonlight. Zuko stomped past him a few minutes later.

"How are you feeling, nephew?" Iroh asked lightly.

"Peachy," Zuko spat. "That stupid little kid…"

"I hardly think he's a kid," Iroh sighed, stretching his arms and folding his hands behind his head. "He must be… what, fifteen? Sixteen?"

"I don't care!" the firebender roared, kicking one of the truck's tires. "What did he do?"

"He entered the Avatar State," Iroh replied thoughtfully. "As far as I have heard, it is only triggered by intense situations." Iroh gave his nephew a pointed glance. "I wouldn't mess with his girlfriend again if I was you."

Zuko nodded grudgingly. "Noted," he growled. He glanced around. The Chopper Boys were all in the back of the truck, some of them beginning to wake up, others still knocked out. Jee had run off in the wake of the Avatar's fury. Zuko jumped into the driver's seat.

"Did you see where Jee went?" he grumbled.

"Nope," Iroh replied, leaning back again.

"We're leaving," Zuko said dully. He gave the key a twist, but the engine just coughed and refused to start. "We're walking."

Iroh sighed and jumped out of the back, Zuko joining him moments later. The two of them made their way back up to the road.

"Poor waste of a vehicle," Iroh sighed.

Zuko shrugged. "Not my truck."

0000000

"Sokka?"

Sokka jumped and whipped around, grabbing blindly for his handgun before realizing he was in his pajamas. The light clicked on in the kitchen, revealing Hakoda to be sitting at the table drinking a glass of milk.

"Geez, do you always just sit here in the dark?" Sokka grumbled, pouring a glass for himself and taking a seat across from his father.

"Sometimes," Hakoda replied, shrugging. "Why are you awake? You usually sleep like a corpse." Sokka shot him a look. "Rock."

"I'm worried," Sokka admitted.

"What about?"

"Katara."

Hakoda sighed. "She's sixteen years old, Sokka," he pointed out. "She's old enough to make her own decisions."

"You thought so when she was fourteen too," Sokka replied sourly. "Do I need to remind you about Jet?"

"Jet was in the business of fooling people," Hakoda said darkly. "And I'll be glad till the day I die that you saw through him. But not a lot of people would have. Katara doesn't have bad judgment."

"I know…" Sokka sighed.

"Do you think Aang is anything like Jet?"

Sokka's mouth twitched a little. He almost smiled. "No," he admitted. "He tries to be, but he's a softy. I can tell."

"So you don't trust Katara?"

"Of course I do. She just tends to… trust people too quickly. We've known Aang for barely a day, but she's already acting like they're best friends."

"They've known each other for more than a day," Hakoda said quietly. Sokka quirked an eyebrow. "Aang mentioned he met me once before. Well, he met Katara that day too."

"Really?"

"Yep," Hakoda leaned back in his chair, standing it up on two legs and resting his feet on the table. "They were pretty young. I think Katara was nine. I don't know if the two of them have figured it out or not, but I'll leave them to it."

"Why?"

Hakoda smiled. "It's a great feeling, realizing someone you know is someone you knew a long time ago," he sighed. "Your mother and I met once when we were just kids, didn't meet again until we were in our twenties and didn't recognize each other. Took us a couple of years to figure it out."

Sokka stared out the window for a while, thinking. "They figured it out," he said at length.

"Why do you think so?"

Sokka got to his feet, placing his empty glass in the sink. "Katara was humming before she went to bed. You know, that old song mom used to sing," he said quietly. "She only hums it when she's feeling… like she would be feeling if they figured it out." He walked to the doorway and paused. "Goodnight."

Hakoda smiled. "Night, son."


	5. Chapter 5

_Some of you recognize the contents of this chapter as a twisted version of WARRIORS OF KYOSHI. Good times._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar _

* * *

CHAPTER 5

Katara smirked at him, waiting. She took a step closer, staying just out of his reach. He took a deep breath.

"Stay with me," he said quietly, taking her hand and pulling her close.

Katara tilted her head to the side, smile still in place. She was right up against him, one hand on his shoulder, the other brushing his cheek. "A bird may love a fish, Avatar," she whispered, leaning forward so her lips tickled his ear. "But where would they live?"

She turned her head, lips on his cheek where her hand was moments before. He felt her smile and laugh lightly, sweet breath warming his skin. He exhaled heavily, one hand secured firmly on her waist, the other on her back, pulling her closer.

"Then I shall have to make you wings," he whispered back, delighted to see her shiver and blush. He moved a hand from her back to her cheek, turning her lips toward his and leaning closer. He was so close, he could almost feel her, almost taste her…

"Aang?"

Aang sat bolt upright, breathing hard. Morning sunlight was pouring into his room. He turned, alarmed, to find Sokka standing in his doorway.

"You were muttering," he said flatly. "You kept saying 'stay with me.' Over and over."

"Was I?" Aang asked, coughing.

"Why?" Sokka asked darkly.

"Dunno," Aang said quickly, getting to his feet and stretching. "I never remember my dreams."

Sokka glared at him for a while. "Katara's making breakfast," he growled, closing the door behind him.

Aang fell back onto his bed, breathing a sigh of relief. That guy was scary.

Several minutes later, Aang joined them in the kitchen. Hakoda was already gone, having a business to run.

"Morning," Katara said with a smile, handing him a plate of pancakes on her way to the pantry.

"Pancakes…" Aang muttered, salivating. Katara placed a bowl of dog food on the floor just in time for Appa to come skidding into the room. "I haven't had pancakes in ages…"

"Well I made them just for you then," Katara replied distractedly. Aang grinned. Sokka scowled. After a moment, however, he stopped. He looked thoughtful for a few seconds before he returned to his breakfast, neither scowling nor smiling. Aang watched him warily.

"You okay?" he asked slowly.

Sokka nodded. "Katara makes fantastic pancakes," he said simply.

"A compliment? This early in the morning?" Katara said with mock surprise as she sat down to eat her own breakfast. She grinned at her brother. "Sokka, are you drunk?" she asked sweetly.

Aang laughed and Sokka rolled his eyes, unable to stop himself from smiling a little.

"Can I say something?" he said suddenly.

Aang and Katara both nodded, perplexed.

"Aang, I'm glad you're here," he said steadily. "I haven't seen Katara this happy in years, and I figure you have something to do with it."

Aang smiled, surprised. "Thanks, Sokka," he said sincerely. Katara, on the other hand, was looking at her brother as though she had never seen him before. When she realized both boys were looking at her, however, she smiled hastily and returned to her breakfast.

"Gee, I didn't know my pancakes were that good," she said lightly. The three of them laughed together. Appa woofed contentedly.

Several minutes later, they were all back to their breakfast.

"Any deliveries this morning?" Katara asked at length.

"Yep, we have to take a shipment to the Unagi," Sokka replied off-handedly, shooting her a glance.

"Oh that's perfect!" she burst out. Aang and Sokka looked at her. "Kyoshi's is right above the Unagi." Suddenly, she was looking very carefully at Aang, eyes travelling up and down shrewdly.

"What?" he asked, blushing.

"You need more clothes," she said simply. "Some that fit you properly. Kyoshi's is a clothing store. You can come with us."

"Okay, sounds nifty," Aang replied, grinning.

"Hey I think we should get going," Sokka blurted.

Katara smiled. "I thought you might," she replied in a sing-song voice.

"Why?" Aang asked, looking between the two of them.

"There's this girl that works at Kyoshi's," Katara said with a grin. Sokka blushed slightly and busied himself with his breakfast. "Sokka likes her. And if I'm anyone to judge I think she likes him too."

"What makes you say that?" Sokka asked airily.

Katara smirked. "I saw you kissing her behind the mannequins," she said, reverting to her sing-song voice again.

Sokka opened his mouth angrily, paused, and appeared to deflate before their eyes, blushing. "Oh," was all he said.

Katara and Aang shared a glance, smirking.

"Well what are we waiting for?" Katara said at length. "Let's grab that shipment and hit the road."

0000000

"Well well, if it isn't old Zuko."

Zuko closed his eyes and took a deep, settling breath through his nose. He and Iroh were in one of the many Dragon-controlled speakeasies within the city, hoping for some peace. Apparently, there was to be none.

"Good morning, Zhao," Zuko said through gritted teeth. The older man took a seat without asking, dusting off his shoulders.

"Is it, now?" Zhao continued calmly. "I was under the impression that you weren't having a very good morning, what with the Chopper Boys going missing when they were pulling a job with you."

"We ran into some trouble," Zuko said evasively.

Zhao was currently making a bid for the city's chief of police position. The police department was generally on the side of the bootleggers, which was why neither the Northern nor Southern Distilleries had been seized. It was also why the Dragons got away with all the things they did and the Riversiders could make shipments in broad daylight. They had a kind of pact. As long as the bootleggers didn't kill any of the citizens, break into residential establishments, or generally mess up the lives of your average Joe, the police looked the other way. But with the Dragons breaking this pact, relations with the department were uneasy.

It was no wonder Boss Ozai was working so hard to get his people into public office.

"What kind of trouble?" Zhao asked carelessly, nodding to Iroh to acknowledge he was there.

"Riversiders," Zuko muttered, raising his glass to his lips.

"Riversiders, of course," Zhao replied, nodding. "You know, it's funny. I found the Chopper Boys, and after a little… persuading, they told me you had the Avatar." Zuko choked on his drink. "And you lost him."

Zuko didn't respond. Iroh's eyes shifted between Zuko and Zhao as though he was watching a tennis match.

"The Avatar, in our own city," Zhao continued. "What are the odds?"

"Slim to none," Iroh offered.

Zhao just smirked. "Your father had some suspicion, you know. About fifteen years ago, he was worried by rumors of the Avatar being reincarnated into this very city. But it left his mind after a while," he paused as though waiting for Zuko to reply. "Well. Here he is."

"Leave it alone, Zhao," Zuko said darkly. "I'm bringing him in."

"A task of such importance can't be left in the hands of a disgrace like you," Zhao replied, getting to his feet. "If you want to make the Avatar a gift for your daddy, you'll have to beat me to him."

With that, Zhao swept out of the bar. Zuko slammed his glass down on the table.

Iroh glanced at the door. He leaned toward Zuko. "You know, I really don't like that guy," he said confidentially.

0000000

"Oyaji? You here?"

"Katara, is that you? Good to see you, little lady!"

Katara smiled, holding the door open for Aang and Sokka as they hefted several unmarked crates through the back entrance of Kyoshi's clothing shop. Oyaji, the shopkeeper and owner of the Unagi, the speakeasy below, greeted Katara with a hug.

"Hakoda's Kids! You haven't been around in a while now," Oyaji pointed out when all the crates were piled inside the door.

"We've been busy," Sokka said evasively.

Oyaji's eyes fell upon Aang. He grinned at Katara.

"And who might this strapping young gentleman be?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

Katara rolled her eyes. "Oyaji, stop," she sighed, smirking. "This strapping young gentleman is a friend. And a customer."

Oyaji frowned. "Come on, Katara. You know I just want to see you happy," he said good-naturedly. She gave him a look, so he dropped the subject, turning on Aang. "Well, friend, it's nice to meet you. I'm Oyaji, and this is my establishment."

Aang was peering curiously out toward the front of the shop. He shook Oyaji's hand.

"I'm Aang. I find myself living in one suit," he replied.

"One suit? Good grief, Katara, why didn't you bring him here earlier?"

"Oh, so now it's my fault?"

Sokka rolled his eyes. "I'll just uh… start bringing these downstairs," he called. Oyaji waved carelessly in his direction as he shooed Aang and Katara to the front of the shop.

Sokka waited a moment before picking up a stack of crates and quietly making his way downstairs. A long, dimly-lit hallway led down to the Unagi. When he reached the door, he found his hands full and had to kick it to knock.

"Identify yourself!" a distinctly female voice shouted through the door.

"Your worst nightmare," Sokka shouted back.

The door swung open, and Sokka found himself being pulled through the door.

0000000

Katara was waiting outside Aang's fitting room while Oyaji tore around his store, coming back every so often with armfuls of three-piece suits, pajamas, and sweaters. He tried to offer him a new hat, but Aang wouldn't even let him touch Gyatso's. It made her smile for some reason, knowing she was the only one he allowed to touch his hat, let alone wear it.

Aang, on the other hand, was feeling rather overwhelmed. Oyaji had a very accurate eye for sizes, but there was so much to try on. Plus, knowing Katara was separated from him only by a curtain while he was in a constant state of being half-naked was making him extremely nervous.

Whenever the latest ensemble was on, they made him pull back the curtain so they could see. Oyaji snapped out his opinion immediately, but Katara had a different approach.

The first suit he was forced to try on was dark grey three-piece with pinstripes. He stepped out of the fitting room.

"A bit big," Oyaji said instantly. He looked at Katara. "What do you think?"

Katara looked at him thoughtfully, eyes travelling from his old hat to his shiny new shoes. She walked around him twice, getting a good look. Then, she stepped toward him and held out her hands.

"Dance with me," she commanded.

Aang stared at her. "Beg pardon?" he laughed.

Katara gave him an expectant look. "You do know how to dance, don't you?"

"Of course," Aang snorted, bowing. He took one of her hands in his and pulled her closer with his other hand on her waist. She rested her free hand on his shoulder. Without another word he began leading her through a simple waltz, earning an impressed smile from the young waterbender.

Oyaji watched with a grin.

"May I ask why we're dancing?" Aang asked politely.

"To see if the suit feels right," she replied as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "If you can move in it comfortably without it pulling anywhere or tripping you…" She paused to laugh as he spun her expertly under his arm and pulled her back against him. "Then it fits."

The two of them stopped, but neither let go. He smiled. "It fits," he confirmed, nodding.

She smiled back. "Good. It brings out your eyes," she said quietly. He looked completely at a loss for a reply, so she released him and shooed him back into the fitting room.

"Toss it out to me and you can try on the next one," she said through the curtain.

Aang grinned. If this was how she tested all of his clothes, he wouldn't mind being stuck at Kyoshi's all day.

0000000

Sokka and Suki weren't talking much. That was usually their routine. No talking. She would have him pinned to the wall within seconds of his arriving and they wouldn't leave the wall until Katara shouted down the stairs that it was time to go. She had seen them kissing once, apparently. Little did she know, this routine of theirs had been going on for several months.

Suki was Oyaji's niece. She had moved to the city a few years ago when her mother died and her father disappeared. Since then she'd been working at Kyoshi's by day as a seamstress. By night, however, she was a bouncer at the Unagi. That was what got Sokka's attention. He'd never met a girl that could hold her own in a fight against him. At first he was strongly opposed to the idea, but she had turned him around.

The wall started to feel uncomfortable on Sokka's back, so he pulled away from her for a moment.

"How've you been?" he asked.

"Fine," Suki replied distractedly, taking the opportunity to breathe. "You?"

"Fine. There's someone new around the distillery."

"Oh?" Suki said simply, clearly thinking this someone new was a girl.

"Yep. He has a crush on Katara."

Suki smiled a little. "Good."

Sokka looked at her, confused. "What do you mean?"

"She needs some fun," Suki said frankly. "You haven't let her near a boy in two years, and I know it's because of that Jet thing but… this is good for her."

"You haven't even met the guy," Sokka said slowly.

"What, is he a Jet clone?"

Sokka frowned. "Well… no, he's nothing like him, actually."

Suki shot him an appraising glance. "Stop worrying about her, she's a big girl," she said flatly.

Then the kissing resumed.

0000000

Iroh trailed behind his nephew as he wandered down the street, hands deep in his pockets and moody gaze on the ground. Iroh, on the other hand, was rather enjoying the walk and the pleasant weather, eyes wandering over the shop fronts and the other people on the street.

He stopped in his tracks in front of an old clothing shop.

"Um… Zuko?"

The young firebender stopped, turning to face his uncle. "What?"

"I think you beat Zhao to him."

Zuko retraced his steps and looked through the window. Toward the center of the store, among the mannequins and tables piled with sweaters, the Avatar and the Riversider were dancing.

0000000

Aang and Katara were waltzing again, trying out the last suit. With each outfit he tried on, Aang took a little longer to dance with her. Now that he was on his last outfit, he was going to drag it out as long as he could.

"You can really cut a rug, Sparky," Katara said warmly, still impressed. She hadn't noticed yet that Aang was getting away with pulling her a little closer every time he spun her. Oyaji noticed, but he didn't say a word as he wrapped up the pile of clothing Katara had helped Aang choose. "Girls love guys who can dance."

"Do you mean girls in general or you?" he asked slyly.

Katara smirked at him, noting with some satisfaction that he missed a step. "You'll just have to find out," she said quietly, grinning when he started blushing. He stopped them and took a step away from her. She held out a hand, and he bowed and kissed it.

"Thank you for the dance, Dollface," said Aang.

"The pleasure was all mine, Sparky," she replied airily. "How's the suit?"

"What suit?" he looked down. "Oh, right. It fits great."

"Well then, we'll have Oyaji ring it up and you can wear it out," she said, smiling. "You look very handsome."

Aang blushed and watched her walk to the back of the store to collect all of Aang's new clothes. Her father would be covering the expenses, so payment wasn't a problem. Aang dug his hands into his pockets, smiling at the floor.

"Excuse me, where might I find the shopkeeper?"

Aang turned around to find a pair of golden eyes staring at him, one of them nearly obscured by a disfiguring scar.

Katara jumped when something crashed in the front of the store. She peered out into the front and gasped.

Zuko was framed in the front door of the shop, throwing fistfuls of flames in every direction. Aang was airbending his way around ever blow, attempting to put out the fires as he went.

"My shop!" Oyaji cried.

"Sokka, get up here!" Katara shouted. Without another word she was out into the front, leaping over a table and snapping the cork from her water skin. Seconds later, Zuko's hands were frozen to the wall. Katara was good at what she did.

"You're a waterbender?" he hissed, steam rising from the ice already. Katara grabbed Aang by the hand and took off for the back exit. Aang turned in her grip, air-extinguishing fires on their way out.

"What's going on?" Sokka shouted, bursting up the stairs.

"Grab the bags, we're out of here," Katara shouted as they ran past him. Suki was up the stairs moments later.

"Can you handle this?" Sokka asked as he gathered the bags up in his arms.

"No problem, just go," Suki replied shortly, pulling twin handguns from her belt.

"Thanks again, Oyaji!" Katara called as they raced through the door. "Sorry for the trouble!"

"No trouble, kids," Oyaji replied, fishing around under the counter for his shotgun.

Zuko broke his hands free from the wall with a growl of anger. Moments later, two gun barrels were in his face, one lined up with each eye.

"Out," Suki snarled. "And don't come back."

The former Dragon had no choice but to comply, considering Oyaji had just emerged with his shotgun. Iroh was waiting for him outside.

"They got away," he said simply. "I would have stopped them, but that boy didn't look like he was going to stop that truck no matter what I did."

Zuko rolled his eyes and stomped away from the store, rubbing his hands together to ward off the chill left behind by that angry waterbender.


	6. Chapter 6

_So here... um... I skip over a few episodes. That's going to happen more than once, generally because I couldn't find a good way to include everything without it dragging on and on. But we do have a summary of IMPRISONED and a quick reference to WINTER SOLSTICE. I'll let you figure out the rest._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar_

* * *

CHAPTER 6

"We are never going shopping again," Sokka barked as they entered the house back at the distillery.

Aang grinned guiltily. "I kind of enjoyed it," he admitted. Sokka dropped the bags unceremoniously in the hallway and stomped into his room.

"I'll be sleeping until next summer," Sokka called through his door.

Aang turned around. Katara was kneeling on the floor, gathering up the bags containing Aang's new clothes. Aang crouched beside her, picking up the bags she missed.

"You okay?" he asked her quietly.

She looked up at him. "He's not going to give up, is he?" she whispered. "That Zuko guy. I don't know how he found out you're the Avatar, but he really wants to capture you."

"Seems that way," Aang replied simply. "I'm more worried about how he found out."

"Maybe he was at the diner yesterday," Katara suggested. "Or… well… that's the only place I can think of."

Aang shrugged. "Maybe," he nodded. After a thoughtful pause, he looked at Katara again. "Did I ever thank you?"

"For what?"

"Everything," he replied with a smile. "For breakfast, for the clothes, for letting me stay in your house, for holding onto my hat and taking care of Appa, for showing me a good place to think-"

"Stop it, Sparky," Katara laughed. "You don't have to thank me for anything. I really like having you here."

Aang smiled. "Thank you."

"Come on," Katara said, smiling and getting to her feet. "I'll help you put these away."

Aang sighed and followed her down the hall. Sokka's door opened abruptly as they passed and Appa came running out. Sokka's glowering face appeared in the door.

"Keep your mutt out of my room," he said menacingly before the door slammed shut again.

Katara just shrugged and sidestepped into Aang's room. "Weird, he isn't usually this grumpy until five at least."

0000000

It didn't take long for Aang to become accustomed to life at the distillery. Deliveries in the morning, the rest of the day to do what they pleased, and more deliveries from the evening into the night. It became apparent quite quickly that Hakoda held his children in high regard, not just because they were his children, but because they were both immensely good at what they did. But it wasn't long before they all discovered that an airbender made a fine addition to the team.

After a few weeks with no sign of Zuko and no mention of him being the Avatar, Aang began to feel like part of the family. He had never been so grateful. Not only that, but Katara began to teach him to waterbend in the river. She was an exquisite teacher, and he wasn't exactly opposed to spending more time with her.

So it only took those few weeks for Aang to decide that Katara was as close to perfect as it was possible to get. She wasn't just beautiful and understanding. She was infinitely selfless, willing to help people at every turn.

On his third day as part of the team, they dropped by a speakeasy hidden in someone's house for a delivery and met a young man named Haru. He was an earthbender, and he was quite a gentleman. Aang immediately didn't like him, but that was probably just because Katara seemed rather taken with him. He was pretty tall, Aang noticed grudgingly, and he had fancy hair.

He needed help finding his father, and Katara jumped at the opportunity to assist. The four of them ended up in a Dragon-controlled area nearby, fighting their way into a hidden cellar where several earthbenders from Haru's gang were imprisoned. Haru informed Katara that he was forever in her debt. Aang was glad to finish that delivery. But to his eternal gratitude, Katara didn't mention Haru after the fact, which left him under the impression that it was just another job to her. He hoped.

And so it was, two weeks into his stay at the distillery, some bad news arrived.

Aang opened his door, yawning. His new pajamas were very warm and he tended to have trouble waking himself from the comfort. But the voices in the kitchen were enough to attract his attention. Of course, as soon as he entered the hallway, his attention was attracted by something else entirely. Katara was emerging from her room, yawning as he was. She was wearing a blue silk nightgown that just barely covered her knees, had no sleeves to speak of, and sported a slit up the side that revealed much more of her legs than he was used to.

He meant to say 'hello,' but all he managed was "Heh…"

Katara glanced at him, quirking an eyebrow.

"You okay?" she whispered, reaching back to tie her wild hair up out of her eyes.

"Great," he replied, his voice cracking. She shivered a little in the night air and linked her arm through his instinctively, craving the warmth of contact.

"Come on, let's see what the shouting is about," she said quietly, and they walked into the kitchen together, Aang feeling rather numb and entirely too warm at the same time.

Hakoda, Sokka, and a few other Riversiders were already gathered in the cramped kitchen. They looked over when Aang and Katara entered.

"Sorry, did we wake you?" Hakoda said immediately.

"Yeah," Katara replied simply. "What's going on?"

"Boss Ozai," Hakoda said darkly. Aang felt Katara's hand tighten on his arm, but she appeared indifferent. He glanced at her, but his eyes were drawn to the lace trim of her neckline like a magnet, so he chose to look at Hakoda instead. "His daughter, Azula, is running for mayor."

"Oh no…" Katara sighed.

"Bad," yawned Aang.

"Very," Sokka consented.

"Boss Ozai's people don't often lose," said Hakoda. "But there's one thing I don't quite understand. Doesn't Ozai have an older son? What was his name…"

"Didn't you hear?" one of the Riversiders said. "Ozai's son got kicked out of the Dragons a little less than a year ago. His father gave him the bum's rush personally, too, and he's got the scar to prove it."

"Zuko?" Aang, Katara, and Sokka said in unison.

"That was his name," Hakoda said, snapping his fingers in triumph. "You know him?"

"He's the guy who kept coming after Aang a few weeks ago," Katara said darkly.

"Oh, I see," Hakoda said slowly. "Aang is his leverage to get back into the Dragons." He looked seriously at his daughter and the boy whose arm she was still holding onto for warmth. "You better watch out for him. He doesn't have a lot to lose."

"I didn't know Boss Ozai had a son," Aang admitted. "Though it does explain why he's always with Uncle Iroh."

"Iroh is with him?"

"Yeah."

"That complicates things slightly…"

The time passed. The men continued talking. And somehow, it was suddenly sunrise and Hakoda was nudging Aang's shoulder.

"Wake up, Aang."

Aang yawned and opened his eyes. He was sitting against the wall, something warm curled up next to him. He glanced over to find Katara still clinging to his arm, fast asleep.

"You can head off to bed, no deliveries this morning," Hakoda said quietly. Aang looked around. The kitchen was empty except for Sokka, who was walking out to return to bed. "Sorry for keeping you awake. I'll take Katara."

"That's okay," Aang yawned. "I'll take her."

Hakoda looked a little surprised, but he shrugged. "Okay, I appreciate it," he said quietly. "Get some sleep." He got up and left the house.

Aang suddenly found himself very alone with a sleeping Katara bearing more skin than he had ever seen on her, which wasn't much but was enough to make him rather nervous. He pulled his arm out of her grip with some difficulty and slid it under her back, his other arm beneath her knees.

Immediately after he stood, she sighed and curled herself up against his chest. He had been right. She was just like a cat when she slept. He carried her down the hall to her darkened room and placed her carefully on her bed, pulling the blankets over her. Then, on a wild impulse, he bent and kissed her cheek. She sighed again and he nearly tripped in his haste to get out of her room when he realized what he had done.

As he tossed and turned in his bed half an hour later, he pondered over his place in all of this. The mayoral election was in just a few months. If he was to help the Riversiders take down Boss Ozai, he had a deadline. He sighed and fell asleep.

0000000

It was raining. Aang didn't like rain. He used to, he knew. But not anymore. So he sat in his window seat, staring glumly at the wet morning dripping by.

"Hey, Sparky."

Aang glanced over. Katara was leaning against his doorframe, smiling. "This is great waterbending weather. Up for it?" she asked.

Aang turned back to the window, tugging his fedora down over his eyes. "Not really… sorry."

He was met with silence. Believing Katara had left, he sighed. But moments later she was seated beside him. She reached over and tugged his hat back so she could see his eyes.

"Not your kind of weather?" she asked gently.

Aang shook his head. "It was raining when the Dragons came," he said in explanation.

She looked at him for a few seconds that seemed like an eternity, so understanding and so compassionate that Aang actually had to look away.

The next moment, her arms were around him in the most perfectly-fitting and well-timed hug he had ever experienced.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I've never told you I'm sorry, even when you said you were sorry about my mother. But I am sorry, Aang."

"I… haven't been hugged in a long time," Aang muttered in response, placing his hands hesitantly on her back to pull her nearer.

"Well let me know anytime you need one. Hugging is important," Katara replied quietly, and he could hear the gentle smile in her voice. "My mother always said hugging is like… when someone has a lot of mental baggage to deal with, you hug them and it kind of… squeezes it all out. Like a tube of toothpaste."

Aang laughed, pulling her closer. "I'm glad you're here," he sighed.

"I'll always be here, okay?"

"Okay."

0000000

Zuko didn't like rain. He had never really liked it, but it had become even more deplorable in recent months.

He sat in the window of his usual speakeasy, Iroh and the Chopper Boys spread throughout the bar behind him.

"I'm going downstairs," he snapped, disappearing behind the counter.

Iroh sighed.

"What's with that kid?" Jee asked crossly. "Is he ever in a good mood?"

"You must forgive my nephew," Iroh said quietly. "He has had a difficult few years. It was raining the day he received that scar of his, if I remember correctly."

"How did he get that scar?" Jee asked. "I heard it was a training accident, but lately I haven't been so sure."

"He spoke out when he shouldn't have," Iroh sighed. "And his father punished him for it."

"What could he have possibly said to make his father do something like that?" Jee asked, aghast.

"My brother is not a patient man," Iroh said darkly. "You didn't hear it from me, but I believe the punishment far outweighed the crime." Nobody said anything, so Iroh continued. "It was shortly after Ozai ordered the murder of the Aces. Zuko was sent with the looting parties to collect what they could from the Aces' establishments. He saw the bodies, of course, some of women and children, many unarmed, and he confronted his father about the injustice of the attack. The rest, as they say, is history."

"Some family life," said Jee, shaking his head. "Do you know why Boss Ozai decided to kill the Aces in the first place? I can never get a straight answer."

Iroh looked down. "There were rumors, about fifteen years ago, that the Avatar had been reincarnated within the city," he began delicately. "With no proof, Ozai ceased worrying about it. But about a year ago, some new information came in. The Avatar was indeed in the city, and he was an airbender. So Ozai killed all the Aces. As you have seen, the Avatar survived. Capturing him is Zuko's only chance at redemption."

The bar fell silent. Outside, the only sound was the rain.

0000000

Sokka was standing in Aang's doorway, leaning against the frame as his sister had been nearly an hour before. They had fallen asleep, curled up together on Aang's window seat. They were lying side-by-side, Aang's back to the wall and Katara's head on his shoulder, though she was turned toward him with one arm over his stomach.

Sokka sighed. He knew nothing had happened. The door had been open the whole time, and he trusted them. But they were falling asleep together more and more often lately.

Sokka was a practical person. He knew it was much easier to sleep by yourself. But he also viewed falling asleep with someone as an act of utmost trust. People were at their most vulnerable while they slept. So to literally just sleep with someone, you had to be willing to expose yourself to them at your time of greatest weakness.

It bothered him, sometimes, that Katara could trust people so quickly and he couldn't. It usually didn't take him long to tell if someone was trustworthy or not, but it would be years before he would allow himself to fall asleep with them. He envied her at times like this. How she could be so effortlessly close to someone without being in a real relationship would never make sense to Sokka.

So, Sokka decided, he would protect the two of them. He would keep them as safe as he could from the world that wasn't as accepting of something so simple as they had. Even if they didn't realize it.

He quietly headed out of the house for a walk in the rain. It always helped him think.

0000000

"Sokka, what were you thinking?"

"Gee, Gran Gran, you're looking young today…"

Katara sighed, pulling the blankets tighter over her brother. He was in his bed with a fever thanks to his walk in the rain two days ago.

Aang entered the room with a glass of water.

"How's he doing?" he asked quietly.

"About the same," Katara sighed, handing her brother the glass. He ended up sloshing half of it down his front, so Katara reached forward and held it for him. "He's completely out of his mind and keeps calling me Gran Gran."

"Who's Gran Gran?" Aang asked, sitting on the floor near Katara's chair.

"My grandmother on my mom's side," Katara replied lightly, slapping a damp rag on Sokka's forehead. "She moved out to the west coast a few years ago, got sick of the cold winters."

That was when Katara started coughing.

Aang looked up at her. "Not you too," he said worriedly.

"It's nothing," Katara muttered quickly, glancing away.

"That's how Sokka started yesterday," Aang replied. "And now look at him. He thinks he's an earthbender."

They both glanced at Sokka, who brandished his fist at the wall and shouted, "Take that, you rock!"

"Aang, don't worry, I'm-" she began, but she was interrupted by another fit of coughing.

Aang got to his feet. "I'm going into the city," he said abruptly, picking his jacket up off the floor. "The nearest drug store is that Walgreens on Fifth, right?"

"Aang, stop," Katara sighed, getting to her feet. "You shouldn't go out alone. It's not safe for any of us, not even in daylight."

"Katara," Aang said sternly. "Go to bed. I'll be right back."

"No," she replied equally firmly. "I'm coming with you."

She sneezed.

Aang sighed and scooped her up into his arms without warning. She let out a cry of surprise, fastening her arms around the nearest thing she could find: his neck. A moment later, however, her head dropped onto his shoulder.

"Ugh… second thought, maybe going to bed isn't such a bad idea…" she muttered, sniffling slightly.

"Thank you," Aang replied, only slightly smug. He tucked her into her bed and got her a glass of water. She was becoming less lucid by the second, declining just as Sokka had the day before. Aang paused at her bedside, placing a hand on her forehead.

"You're getting warm," he muttered.

"Mmm…" she sighed. "You have lovely hands, Avatar Aang…"

Aang glanced at her in surprise. She was smiling into her pillow, eyes closed. He sighed.

"I'll be back soon, okay?" he said quietly. "Don't get any worse, Dollface."

"See you later, Sparky," she sighed, closing her eyes.

Aang grabbed his trench coat from his room and headed out the door.

0000000

"Zuko? You here?"

Zuko glanced over at his uncle from the counter of the diner on the south side he had been haunting for a couple of weeks. It was as close as he could get to the Southern Distillery while remaining on neutral ground, and he was just waiting for his chance to capture that kid.

"What is it, Uncle?"

Iroh sat down beside him. "I have some bad news."

"What other kind of new is there?"

"Zhao has hired the Yu Yans for some top secret job."

"The Yu Yans?" Zuko groaned. They were the best marksmen in the Dragons, known for being fast, accurate, and ruthless. "Well gee, I wonder who he's going after."

"Sorry, nephew."

Zuko sighed and got to his feet. "I'm going for a walk."

0000000

"So what's wrong with your friends?" the man at the counter asked Aang flatly.

"They have fevers and they're coughing and they're really out of it," Aang responded tiredly. It was beginning to rain again, and he didn't want to be the next one in bed.

The man dug around behind the counter, emerging with a brown glass bottle. "Cough syrup," he said simply.

Aang gave the man a few bills in exchange for the bottle and thanked him before returning to the rain-washed street.

It was at that moment that the first shot was fired.

Aang jumped. A bullet hole cracked the pavement beside his foot. It took him a matter of moments to figure out where it came from, and in that time several more shots came whizzing in his direction. Instinct kicked in, and he started running, stirring up a flurry of wind in his wake.

Out of nervous instinct, he started talking to himself as he wheeled around a corner.

"Katara told me not to leave," he growled, dodging under a dumpster as the bullets started coming more frequently than the rain. "I didn't listen to her. I didn't listen and now I'm gonna die."

It wasn't long before he found himself boxed into an alley. He sighed and stopped, holding up his hands in surrender. The bullets stopped. Five men dropped from the rooftops.

"Look, I just need to get some medicine back to my friends," he said quietly. "Please."

One man stepped toward him, not saying a word, and clubbed him in the back of the head with his gun.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

When Aang woke, he was very uncomfortable. But then, he thought calmly, anyone would be uncomfortable if they were chained between two iron girders as he was. Two light bulbs lit the room, one on each side of the door straight in front of him.

He looked around disinterestedly. The vertical iron girders appeared to be support beams for whatever building he was in. There were several more of the girders throughout the room, supporting this conclusion. He must have been in a basement somewhere. Some pipes were dripping somewhere behind him.

"Oh good," Aang sighed. His feet were chained to the floor, one hand chained to each pillar. He gave each chain a fruitless tug. "At least they didn't take the cough syrup…" His eyes widened. How long had he been here? How long had Sokka and Katara been alone at their house, sick?

"Hello?" Aang shouted. "Anyone there? I'm awake and confused in here!"

No sooner did he start shouting than someone unfamiliar walked into the room. He was tall and broad and his sideburns attracted most of Aang's attention immediately.

"Avatar," the man said by way of greeting. He had an easy sort of voice that made him sound like he was talking down to him. "My name is Zhao. I am one of Boss Ozai's top men."

"Hey," Aang replied carelessly. Zhao frowned. "So can you let me go, please? My friends are sick, and I need to take care of them."

"Oh, you mean your Riversider friends?"

Aang scowled. "No, I mean my other friends," he said airily. "Oh wait, you and your gang killed all of them, so never mind, you had it right the first time, you ass."

Zhao was suddenly right in front of him, grabbing Aang by the shirt and pulling him forward as much as he could manage with the chains. "You little cretin," Zhao growled. "How dare you talk to me that way? I was trying to be polite, and you respond with that."

"Chaining me up in some cruddy basement isn't exactly what I would call polite," Aang replied coolly, making a point to make a face as though Zhao's breath offended him.

Suddenly Zhao's fist was on fire and inches from Aang's face. He cringed away from it.

"That's what I thought," Zhao snarled. "Now sit tight, you little beast. Boss Ozai is on his way here right now, and I'm sure he'd love to speak to you."

He turned around to leave the room. Aang took a deep breath and blew a stream of wind at him, knocking him into the door. Zhao got to his feet and roared in anger, sending a breath of fire dangerously close to Aang.

"Just be glad I'm not softening you up before Boss Ozai deals with you," he snapped, slamming the door behind him.

Aang looked down, sighing. This wasn't going well at all.

So imagine his surprise when, nearly an hour later, the door opened again. But this time it wasn't Zhao. It wasn't Boss Ozai. It wasn't anyone Aang recognized at all.

Probably due to the fact that he was wearing a frightening blue mask.

0000000

Katara woke up sluggishly. Her head felt like it weighed a hundred pounds. She didn't know how much time had passed, but the sun was no longer coming through her window.

"Aang?" she called. She turned and smiled. He had left her a glass of water. She sat up, rubbed her eyes, and coughed. "Aang, where are you?"

There was still no reply after nearly a minute. Katara started to worry.

"Aang!""

No answer. He must be back by now. She attempted to stand up, but staying vertical made her dizzy so she had to sit back down. She was out of commission, and Aang was still out there somewhere.

"Aang," she called half-heartedly. The empty house made no response.

0000000

"Who are you?" Aang asked immediately.

The masked man made no response. He was wearing a black trench coat and gloves, his head covered by a hood and the mask looming out of the shadows within. He pulled out a single pistol that looked just like…

"Sokka?" he offered.

The person didn't respond. He was too tall to be Sokka anyway, and Sokka was in no condition to be out saving people. So if that was the case… who was this guy?

"Look, uh… you don't want to shoot me," Aang said quickly as the man moved toward him. "Boss Ozai is on his way here and if he doesn't get to kill me he'll be really disappointed."

No response.

"I've got a dog, he needs to be fed just the right amount or he'll get sick!"

Still no response.

Aang let out a groan of frustration. "Fine, I'm not going to beg you not to kill me," he snapped. "Because frankly, I'm above that. But I feel you should know that there's this girl, and she's sick and I really care about her. So if you kill me, fine, whatever. But there's this bottle in my pocket and I'd really appreciate it if you would make sure it gets to her."

The man still didn't respond. The gun was suddenly pointed at Aang and he didn't flinch. Then the man's arm shifted and a shot rang out, slicing right through one of the chains connecting his arm to the pillar. Three more shots took care of the others.

"You're letting me go?" Aang said flatly.

He still didn't respond. He gestured over his shoulder with the gun and walked out the door, Aang following him mutely. There were two unconscious guards on the floor by the door. Aang stepped over them carefully.

"Where are we?" Aang hissed as the two of them ran down the hallway. No response. "Are you going to say anything at all?" No response. "Fine. No talking, I get it."

The hallway came to a crossroads. To the right was a set of great double doors, no doubt leading to a speakeasy. Straight across was a rough door that probably led to a cellar. And to the left was a flight of stairs. Their way out.

The man walked straight across the hall into the cellar.

Aang sighed and hastened after him.

Just as the cellar door closed behind them, Zhao entered the hallway from the speakeasy. He turned the corner and saw the guards sprawled on the floor. He wrenched open the door to the room Aang had previously occupied, only to find it empty.

Zhao's roar of anger echoed all the way to the back of the cellar where Aang was following his rescuer out the high basement window.

He pulled himself up as quickly as he could. But upon reaching the outside of the building, they were faced with the next problem. A nine-foot-tall chain link fence surrounding a big empty lot patrolled by Dragons.

"Oh good," Aang sighed. The masked man pressed a gloved finger to the carved metal mouth of the mask and gestured sharply to the right. The two of them took off running again reached the fence unnoticed. They only managed to climb halfway up, however, when a flashlight was shining in Aang's direction. There was shouting and someone blew a whistle, and all of a sudden there were fireballs sinking into the fence beside him and he had no choice but to drop to the ground.

As Aang and the masked man stood back to back, facing down a tight circle of Dragons armed with guns and flaming fists, it occurred to him that this wouldn't have happened if he had listened to Katara.

"Keep up," he muttered to the mysterious man, and he turned quickly on the spot, blasting the Dragons out of the way with a draft of wind. As soon as the way was clear, Aang started running toward the gate, not even checking behind him to see if the masked man was following.

Out of the corner of his eye, Aang spotted a pile of extra poles from the fence. He grabbed the shortest he could find, slightly taller than he was. He used to train with a staff when he was learning to airbend, but he'd outgrown it a few years ago and never gotten a new one. This would have to do for now.

He swung his new staff toward an oncoming rush of firebenders, scattering them easily. As he approached the gate, he finally turned to check if the masked man was behind him. He was, luckily, but in the time it took him to check, the gate swung shut and they were surrounded again.

"Everybody stop! The Avatar is to be captured alive," Zhao's voice rang out through the cacophonous night air.

It took less than a second. The masked man turned and fastened an arm around Aang's neck, pressing his handgun to Aang's temple.

Suddenly, the night seemed very quiet.

All Aang could think, over and over. This wouldn't be happening if he had listened to Katara.

Zhao was yards away, eyes locked on the dark holes of the stranger's mask.

"Open the gate," he commanded calmly.

The two of them backed out of the complex, one step at a time. Aang wondered if this was how it was going to end. A year alone in that stuffy old basement, and finally things were looking up. Such a shame to die now.

A shot rang out and Aang closed his eyes. He felt the man fall away behind him and froze. Without a second thought he kicked up a cloud of dust, shielding them from view.

Aang turned and crouched on the ground. The metal mask had stopped the bullet. If not for that mask, he would have taken it right between the eyes. Aang sighed and pulled the mask off the man's face. He fell back in shock. It was hard not to recognize that scar.

There was shouting drawing nearer. Aang ran a few steps and stopped. His conscience was nagging at him. With a groan of frustration he hauled Zuko up over his shoulder and took off running.

For his part, all Zhao could do was grind his teeth in anger.

0000000

Zuko woke with a grunt. He was lying in a puddle in a night-darkened alley. The Avatar was sitting nearby on a crate against the wall.

"The Dragons weren't like this seven years ago," Aang said quietly when he saw Zuko was awake. "One of my best friends was a Dragon. His name was Kuzon. He was killed a couple of years ago, when they were stealing from someone else's turf." Aang looked down at the firebender, no trace of emotion on his face. "When did it change? If you had been my friend, not Kuzon, would you still be chasing me now?"

Zuko didn't respond. He sat up abruptly, shooting a fireball at Aang. But he had anticipated this and had long since leapt to the rooftop, disappearing into the rain-washed night.

0000000

"Hello?" Aang called as he walked in the door of the little house. "You guys okay?"

A light switched on in the hallway and suddenly Aang was staggering backward, locked in a tight embrace.

"Don't do that!" Katara shouted as fiercely as she could as sick as she was. "I was worried sick, you idiot!"

"You were already sick," Aang pointed out gently.

"What took you so long, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Aang laughed. "It's you and your brother I'm worried about."

"Shut up, what's the matter with you? Just wandering off for hours and hours…"

Aang couldn't help but smile. "I don't really need a hug, you know," he murmured. "No mental baggage."

"I know, this one's for me," she muttered into his shirt.

Aang laughed, digging into his pocket for the bottle of cough syrup. "This is for you and Sokka," he said quietly. "It'll taste awful, but it'll make you feel a little better. It should help you sleep at least."

She finally released him, taking the bottle from his hand. She smiled and leaned up toward him, kissing his cheek briefly.

"Thanks," she muttered, cheeks turning pink.

Aang grinned at her. "Are you getting feverish again, Katara?" he asked slyly.

She punched him ineffectually in the arm. "I retract my previous thank you," she sniffed, turning on her heel to return to her room. But she got dizzy again and he grabbed her from behind, only serving to embarrass her more. It didn't take long to get her back into bed and get the cough syrup to both of the siblings, and by that time Aang was completely exhausted. He crashed to his bed without changing into his wonderfully comfortable pajamas and immediately fell asleep, hoping that somehow, the events of the day would be easier to forget than they were to experience.

0000000

A few days later, the siblings and Aang were killing time in the bar when Hakoda burst into the room.

"Bad news," he said quickly. "The Dragons have a plan."

"A plan," Katara replied calmly. "What plan?"

"There's the problem," Hakoda sighed. "We don't know."

"So how do you know there's a plan?"

"We have a contact in the Dragons, and something big is in the planning stages right now," he replied. "Something that concerns us."

The bar fell silent. It was ten minutes before anyone spoke.

"Dad, stop," Katara sighed, eyes following her father as he paced around the bar. He didn't seem to be listening.

Katara was standing behind the bar, elbow on the counter and resting her chin on her hand. Aang was sitting across from her, leaning back against the counter as he too watched Hakoda pace. Sokka had fallen asleep, drooling on the polished wood.

"We've got to get into their headquarters and find the plans," he muttered, finally stopping and looking at his children. Aang and Katara looked at him. He went back to pacing. "But how…"

Katara returned her attention to what she had been before her father had entered the room. Aang turned back to the counter. Two lowball tumblers sat between them. Katara held up one finger, gesturing for him to wait a moment while she ducked behind the bar. She emerged moments later holding a bottle of some dark amber liquid. There was no label. She glanced at Aang, lifting an eyebrow. He shrugged. She sniffed the bottle, looking thoughtfully at the empty glasses.

"Bourbon?" she offered him the bottle. He sniffed as well.

"I think so," he consented.

She nodded and poured some in each glass. After tucking the bottle back under the counter, she handed one glass to Aang. They both glanced over when Hakoda stopped for a moment, but he resumed pacing shortly after.

Katara raised her glass. Aang did the same.

"Okay, very simple," she said lightly. "This is one of those toasts where you have to keep eye contact or it's impolite, so keep your eyes on mine."

"Noted," Aang replied, steadily returning her gaze.

"Now we lean forward just a little," she instructed, and they leaned toward each other. "Cross arms." She crossed her arm over his so his glass was closer to her and her glass was closer to him. She hooked her wrist around his, pulling her own glass back toward herself. He mimicked the movement. "And drink." They had to lean closer again to bring their tumblers to their lips, never breaking eye contact.

"That's it," Katara smiled, and they carefully untangled their arms.

"I was raised in a bar, and yet I never learned proper drinking etiquette. Go figure," Aang replied, taking another drink. He looked at the glass. "That's good."

"That's Riversider moonshine," she replied, taking a sip herself and licking her lips. "The best on the river." She laughed, raising her glass again. "To prohibition."

"To high treason," Aang replied, crossing their arms again and taking another drink.

"A toast like that is only for formal affairs," Katara pointed out after they put their glasses down. "You know… weddings and stuff. It's usually just a clink and you're done."

"I knew that much," Aang smiled, finishing off his glass. "That's really good."

"I told you," Katara grinned at him, draining the last of her glass. "Riversider moonshine is the best there is."

"No arguments there," he sighed, leaning against the counter.

"I've got it," Hakoda said suddenly. Katara glanced up, rolling the glass between her hands. "I had a plan to get into their headquarters years ago, but now with you three, I can actually make it happen. Wake your brother and follow me."

Aang and Katara shared a mystified glance before doing as they were told.

0000000

Hakoda hadn't been lying about having his own plan. Everything was accounted for. There was a specific job for every member of the Southern Distillery, except Sokka and Katara, as they had been ten and twelve when the plan was made. The plan was perfect. Just one problem.

"I needed a way to get the back gate open, and the only way I could see was to get someone in to unlock it," Hakoda explained to the group. He was standing before every Southern Riversider that didn't have a job to be doing at the moment. They had all been packed into the mess hall. "But I couldn't get anybody in without attracting attention. Until now."

He looked at Aang, who was spinning his hat between his hands.

"Aang, you can get over the fence with airbending, right?"

"By myself? Yeah," Aang replied simply. "But if I have to carry anybody…"

"No, you'd be by yourself," Hakoda assured him. "You would just need to unlock the back gate. You're the only one who can make a jump like that."

"Very true."

"Alright, we have a lot of recon to do so we can update this plan, but the framework of it is sound. Don't think this means you'll be able to skimp on your other duties," he warned the group at large. "I'll excuse you from your jobs if I have new assignments for you. Now get moving."

The mess hall emptied around them. Sokka, Katara, and Aang remained behind.

"So this whole thing kind of depends on me," Aang said quietly.

Sokka clapped him on the shoulder. "Well done," he said flatly.

"I didn't do anything."

"Don't contradict me."

Katara sighed. "This is a really important job, Aang," she said quietly, smiling. "You're really a Riversider now."

Aang smiled faintly. "Yeah, I guess so."

She got to her feet. "Come on, let's go back to the bar. We can work more on your drinking etiquette."

Aang shrugged. "Okay, why not?" he said, smiling a little. He got to his feet and offered her his arm. She took it with a laugh.

Sokka sighed and pulled his hat down over his face.


	8. Chapter 8

_So I couldn't edit the last chapter for some reason. I'd like to point out that if it seemed kind of fast, it's because all of BLUE SPIRIT was action, which is hard to write. Um... a vague reference to FORTUNETELLER was in the last chapter, and the beginning of BATO. Here's the rest of BATO. It's very dramatic. Good times._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar_

* * *

CHAPTER 8

For weeks, all Aang ever heard about was how important his job was. He was the catalyst of the entire operation. He got them in.

For the first time in a year, he was part of a family.

So with the day of the break-in approaching, their window of opportunity coming up in barely two days, Aang was rather enjoying himself. Everyone was very busy, so he found some time to walk Appa out near the fence. He slowed down upon reaching the gate.

"Who're you?" Aang asked the man on the other side of the fence. The guards weren't there. Hakoda probably had them on some other assignment.

"Bato," the man replied. "We've met before."

"Oh yeah, hi," Aang said politely. "Want me to let you in?"

"No, I have somewhere to be," Bato said quickly. "But you can do me a favor." He pulled an envelope from within his jacket and handed it to Aang through the fence. "Get this to Hakoda as soon as possible."

"Okay," Aang said simply. "No problem."

Bato waved before he turned and left. Aang looked curiously at the envelope. It wasn't closed properly. He glanced around quickly and emptied it into his hand. There was just a note scrawled on an old napkin.

"Acquiring gate keys," Aang read. "Need assistance tomorrow night at 12th and Grand, midnight."

He looked at his dog. "Bato's team is getting keys," he said quietly. "They won't need me."

Appa barked, tail swishing back and forth slowly.

"They'll still want me around though, right?"

Appa yawned. Aang sighed and sat down with his back to the fence, looking at the note again. All he had been hearing for weeks was that his job was to get them through the gate. But they didn't need him anymore.

What if he ended up alone again?

In a moment of sudden, gripping fear, Aang crushed the note between his hands. Appa sat down next to him.

"I can't give this to them," Aang muttered guiltily. "I need them, Appa. But if they don't need me, I'm sunk."

Appa made a noise that sounded suspiciously like sighing and Aang frowned at him.

"What do you know?" Aang snapped, his stomach beginning to hurt. "You're a dog."

0000000

"Aang, stop it."

"Stop what?"

"Seriously, stop it."

"Stop what?"

"You're driving me crazy."

"What am I doing?"

Katara stared at him over the bar. She reached forward and clamped a hand over his fingers, which had been ceaselessly running around the rim of a champagne glass for the last five minutes. The ringing was enough to drive anyone insane.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked, not unkindly.

"Wrong with me? Nothing's wrong with me, what makes you think something's wrong with me?" Aang replied hastily. He placed a hand on his stomach which twisted painfully.

"You've been acting weird all day," Katara answered steadily. "I know we haven't had a delivery in a couple days, but even Sokka doesn't get stir crazy this fast."

Hakoda and Sokka were at the other end of the bar, looking absently at a few lists spread between them. The two of them had been bouncing questions and suggestions off of each other for a while now. Katara and Aang had stayed out of it.

"Has anyone seen Bato lately?" Hakoda asked.

"Haven't seen him why?" Aang burst out.

Hakoda and his kids looked at Aang curiously.

"He was supposed to report in to me yesterday," Hakoda replied calmly.

"You think something's wrong?" Sokka asked quietly.

"Probably not, but we can't be too careful."

"Aang?" Katara said suddenly. "You don't look so good."

The clock struck midnight.

"Alright, alright, I lied!" Aang shouted suddenly, jumping from the bar stool and yanking the crumpled note from his pocket. "Here, take it!" He threw it on the counter and ran for the door, stopping for a moment to look between the siblings and their father. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I have to… I have to go."

"Aang?" Katara shouted after him. She leapt over the bar.

"Stop," Sokka barked. Katara looked at him. He was staring at the note, and his father was reading it over his shoulder. A dark look came over his face.

"We've got to go," Hakoda growled, getting to his feet.

"Where?" Katara asked, bewildered.

Hakoda stopped at the door, pointing a finger in Katara's face. "You aren't going anywhere, understand? You are staying here, and you're staying away from that boy," he said sharply.

"What?" Katara shouted. "What in the world is going on?"

"Go to your room, I'll know if you come out," Hakoda said simply as he swept out the door, Sokka on his heels. Katara grabbed the note from the counter, reading over it quickly. Her eyes widened.

"What…" she breathed. "Dad, Sokka, what is going on?"

Her brother came stomping back into the room and seized her by the arm, dragging her out of the bar.

"Sokka, let go of me!" she shouted, trying to wrench out of his grip. She usually could, but he wasn't relenting, and it was getting painful. "Sokka you're hurting my arm!"

"I'm sorry," he growled as he marched across the rain-wet ground between the bar and the house. "But I was right. We couldn't trust him."

"It was just a note, you don't know what it means!" she snarled, trying to dig her heels into the ground. But he just kept hauling her along. As Katara kept shouting, he ignored her, finally pushing her through her door and slamming it behind her. She just opened it as soon as he moved away.

"Sokka, what the hell!" she shouted savagely.

He turned on her. "You're staying here," he yelled back. "Dad will have people watching the house, so you don't go anywhere."

"There has to be a reason," she cried out in frustration. "Would you just turn off the testosterone for two seconds and listen for once in your life? Aang is not the bad guy."

"That note from Bato that he neglected to give us seems to prove otherwise."

"Then why did he give it to you at all?"

"How should I know? My brain doesn't work like his, I'm not-"

"Aang is not the bad guy!" Katara was now shouting at full pitch, producing a much louder sound than should have been possible from someone her size.

"Stay here," Sokka roared in response, slamming the door of the house behind him.

Katara let out a scream of frustration and stalked into Aang's room. He'd left all his clothes, Appa's bowl, everything. He hadn't been planning on leaving. She sat down on his bed, punching the pillow.

So where did he go?

0000000

Sokka didn't return for several hours. When he did, he found Katara in Aang's window seat, forehead against the window as she glared dully out at the grey morning.

"What happened?" she asked flatly.

"We got to Bato but it was too late," Sokka replied calmly. "His contact had left and now we don't have the keys or the information he would have given us."

"Did you find him?"

"We weren't looking."

Katara closed her eyes.

"We're better off, Katara," Sokka said quietly. "He could have-"

"Don't talk about him."

"Good, you've got the right idea."

"No, I mean you shouldn't talk about things you don't understand," she replied tonelessly. "It makes you sound like more of an ass than everyone already knows you are."

"Hey-"

"Go away."

Sokka frowned. "Katara," he began lowly.

"Go away."

"Would you just-"

"How many times do I have to say it before I freeze your underwear to your body?"

Sokka left the room.

Katara sighed and closed her eyes again, skimming her fingertips over the chilled glass of the window. He was out there somewhere. She just wasn't sure if she wanted to find him.

And she hated herself for it.

0000000

"We have to do something, Dad."

Hakoda looked at his son as he walked into the kitchen. It was nearly midnight, and a glass of milk was on the table in front of him. Sokka took a seat across from him.

"Do something about what?" Hakoda replied quietly, rolling the glass between his hands.

"Katara," Sokka said, sounding slightly irritated. "Or had you not noticed she hasn't spoken to either of us in three days?"

"She's adjusting, Sokka," Hakoda said sharply. "She became far too attached to Aang, and now she's paying the price for it."

"That's not fair," Sokka replied immediately. "You trusted him too, she shouldn't be suffering like this."

"It's her choice to suffer."

"Dad…"

"We lose people," Hakoda said quietly. "It's time she learned that."

"She did learn it," Sokka snapped. "Six years ago, when Mom died. She died too, in case you didn't notice. Katara died that day. I didn't see her again until we met Aang."

Hakoda sighed. "She has been happy," he obliged. "She certainly didn't freeze us out when her mother died."

"It's because we didn't take Mom from her," Sokka said quietly.

"We didn't take Aang from her."

"No, but we're keeping her from him."

Hakoda sighed and rubbed his chin in thought. "Go get dressed, Sokka," he sighed. "Your sister just snuck out of the house."

"Yeah," Sokka replied, getting to his feet. "I know."

0000000

"I'm not supposed to be here."

Aang jumped and twisted around in his chair. Katara was standing at the bottom of the stairs leading down to the Ace of Spades. She was dripping rain water all over the floor, her gaze fixed on the young airbender sitting in front of the fire.

"I know," he replied simply.

"If anyone knew I'd be in more trouble than I can afford right now," she continued calmly.

"So why'd you come?" he asked, trying to sound as though he didn't really want to know.

"I don't know," she said hesitantly, looking down. "I just kept thinking about you…"

"You were thinking about me?" Aang asked slyly, smirking.

Katara didn't smile. She didn't laugh. She just looked at him, and the hurt and disappointment in that look was enough to wipe the smirk off his face. "I kept imagining you here, by yourself in this empty place…" she admitted, glancing around, her eyes dull. She sighed and looked at him. "I couldn't take it. I came so you wouldn't have to be alone."

"Well I'm fine," Aang replied sharply after a lengthy silence. "I was fine for a year, I'll be fine for another. I don't need you." She didn't make any indication that she'd heard him, excluding a sharp intake of breath. "You shouldn't have taken me out of here in the first place."

She looked down, again expressing nothing but disappointment. He turned back toward the fire.

"It was a mistake, coming here. I get that," she began, speaking to the floor. "But asking you to come with me in the first place wasn't a mistake. I don't think so." He looked over at her sharply. She glanced at him, blue eyes still appearing dull. "I liked having you around." He stiffened in his seat. She looked down again. "I'm going to go, okay? I'll just… leave you alone." He turned back to the fire again, muscles tense. "Goodbye, Aang."

She turned and paused in the doorway. He didn't move, so she just made her way up the stairs. It was barely a minute before she was back out in the night under the pouring rain.

"Katara."

She stopped in the middle of the street, turning around. He was just outside the door of the pet shop. He hadn't even bothered to put his coat on in his haste to catch her. The rain had already soaked her through and she stood shivering, waiting for him to do something.

"You get mad at everyone else. Even your dad," he called over the rain. "But with me, you just get worried. Disappointed at worst." He stared at her, water dripping from the rim of his hat. "Why don't you get mad at me?"

"You're not like everyone else," she called back, pushing her wet hair out of her eyes. "Not to me."

"Just ask me," Aang replied after a long silence.

Katara looked down, unable to maintain eye contact with him any longer.

"Please," he called.

She inhaled sharply and bit her lip, shaking her head.

"Please, Katara."

She finally broke, exhaling heavily and looking up at him. He couldn't tell if that was rain or if her eyes were filling with tears.

"Why'd you do it?" she finally asked, sounding as though the words caused her pain.

"I was afraid," he said instantly. Her bright gaze was fixed on him, eyes shining in the night gloom like a cat. "I thought that… if you had that information, I wouldn't be of any use to you guys anymore." She swayed a moment as if she was going to move toward him, but she stopped. "So I left you before you could leave me." Her eyes widened. He looked down, her piercing gaze becoming overbearing. "I'm sorry."

He didn't look up. He kept his eyes glued to the wet pavement, hands clenched into fists at his sides. He heard her footsteps first, moving slowly. The next thing he knew, her arms were around his neck and she was pulling him into a fierce hug. They were both soaked to the bone, so the hug didn't make it worse. In fact, the warmth between them was making the rain seem less significant. He was still for several long moments before he wrapped his arms around her.

"Don't," she muttered into his shoulder, voice heavy with the effort to keep from crying. "Don't do this. Don't make me cry." Aang pulled her a little closer, closing his eyes. "I haven't cried since I lost my mother, and I'm not going to…" She trailed off, taking a deep breath. "Don't make me cry, Aang."

"Never," he said quietly. She sniffed. "We should get you inside. Don't want you to get sick again."

"Wait."

Aang jumped in surprise. Katara turned her head away from Aang's shoulder but otherwise didn't pull away. Sokka was walking toward them, hands deep in the pockets of his trench coat. Aang felt her grip tighten around his shoulders.

"Sokka, go home," Katara said quietly as her brother approached. "I'm not leaving."

Sokka stopped beside them. She glared at him. He looked steadily at both of them for a while and sighed.

"Come on, we're going home," he said tiredly.

"I told you, I'm not leaving."

Sokka looked at her. "All three of us are going home," he sighed.

Aang turned in surprise. "What?"

"Dad will talk to you to decide if you can stay."

"What about you, Sokka?" Aang asked carefully. "Are you going to forgive me?"

Sokka shifted his weight for several moments.

"You were listening, right?"

He sighed, frustrated. "Yes, I was," he admitted grudgingly. "And I know how tough it is to not be needed. So… yeah, I forgive you. But you need to gain my trust back."

"Fair enough."

"So… can you pry yourselves apart long enough to get home?"

Katara pulled away from him, pushing her wet hair from her eyes again. Aang took off his hat and placed it on her head. "I need to get my coat and my dog," he said to Sokka. "I'll be right back." He jogged back into the pet shop.

Sokka looked over at his sister. "He lets you wear his hat," he stated.

"He does," she consented. "Point?"

"No point, just saying," Sokka said, holding up his hands defensively. "And I'm uh…" He looked down, shuffling his feet again. "I'm sorry for keeping you from him."

Katara looked at him thoughtfully for a while. "Okay, I forgive you," she replied. "But I think you need to gain Aang's trust back as much as he needs to gain yours."

"How do you figure?"

"You sold him out, Sokka," Katara said gently. "He showed weakness and you turned on him." Sokka looked down, silent. "He was scared that we wouldn't need him. He was scared that he was going to lose the only family he has. I know you didn't know that, but you really need to stop jumping to conclusions. Dad too."

"Maybe… you're right," Sokka admitted slowly.

Katara smiled, and he felt himself smiling grudgingly back.

"He really does care about you," he said quietly.

"Yeah, he does," she replied vaguely. "I don't think anyone has ever cared about me the way he does."

"Probably not," Sokka consented. "But I've never seen you care about someone so much either, so you're even."

Katara smiled a little. "He's really something isn't he?" she said lightly.

"I have to admit… I like having him around," Sokka sighed. "He's like the little brother I always wanted but got you instead."

Before Katara could respond, Appa came loping out of the pet shop, followed by Aang. He offered Katara his arm, which she took with a smile.

"Let's go home," Sokka said, rolling his eyes.

"Home sounds nice," Aang replied, grinning.


	9. Chapter 9

_Sssorrryyy this took so long. Well... longer than usual for me. I was updating so frequently before because I was sick for like two weeks and missed school, so I had time. But then I was un-sick and I had to make up everything I missed at school and basically all my free time was spent studying in misery and seclusion. But I'm still not caught up, so expect more delays, sorry again._

_(TOTALLY UNRELATED) I'm sad that the Oscar for original musical number went to ONCE instead of ENCHANTED. But how great was Kristen Chenowith singing That's How You Know? It made me miss PUSHING DAISIES... _

_Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar _

* * *

CHAPTER 9

"Aang… Aang, wake up."

Aang opened his eyes slowly. He had only been asleep for a couple of hours, but someone's hand was on his arm, carefully shaking him awake. He looked over and saw very clearly that it was Katara's hand. It was hard to mistake those bright blue eyes. And… oh no. There was that nightgown again.

He sat bolt upright, rubbing his eyes so he wouldn't have to look at her. "Um… yeah?"

"Dad wants to talk to you," she whispered.

"Now?" he glanced out the window. Dawn was just creeping into the river valley, and it was raining just as hard as it had been earlier that night.

Katara just nodded. "Come on, your pajamas are fine, let's go," she murmured, taking his hand and pulling him out of bed. Aang was doing his best to watch the floor as they went, but her bare feet kept getting his attention, leading up to her legs and beyond. He groaned.

"What's wrong?" she whispered as they left the house, raising a hand to bend the rain away from them. It was cold either way, and the ground was soaking wet, so they started running.

"Nothing," Aang replied, teeth chattering. "Just tired."

They entered the bar, shivering. It was empty except for Sokka and Hakoda. Sokka was in his pajamas as well. Aang sighed and sat down at the bar, facing the older man. Katara sat beside Aang, avoiding looking at her father.

"So," Hakoda began after a lengthy silence. "My children told me what happened."

"Okay," Aang replied hesitantly. Hakoda had become a friend to him in recent weeks. Now he felt more like he had that first day they had met. Well… second day, technically.

"I understand," Hakoda finally said. He heard Katara exhale behind him. She'd been holding her breath. "But I'll be watching you, okay? And it won't happen again. You have to trust that we're not just going to throw you out."

"I do," Aang said instantly. "I mean, I do now. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry anymore, nobody was hurt," Hakoda leaned back against the counter. "We did miss our opportunity to get in and get those plans, but that's no longer a problem."

"What do you mean?" Sokka asked.

"Got some news from the Northern Distillery this morning," Hakoda sighed. "Zhao's been put in charge of a little project, apparently. He's getting a big gang together, a whole lot of firebenders. They're going to attack my distillery."

"What?"

"Bato's informant was also in contact with Hahn at the Northern Distillery. Large scale attack, right here on our turf. It's coming down sometime within the next couple of days."

Sokka swore loudly. Katara pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes, remaining silent.

"So we'll fight," Aang said, looking between them. "We're ready for it. We'll defend your home."

"Yes we will," Hakoda replied. "But you three won't."

"What?"

"Don't argue with me, Sokka. You kids are going to stay at the Northern Distillery. I don't want any of you getting caught up in this."

All three of them started arguing immediately, but Hakoda just shook his head.

"Pack enough clothes for a couple of days and get in the truck. You're leaving in one hour, got it?" he said sternly. The three of them nodded grudgingly, knowing better than to keep fighting him. The three of them huddled under Sokka's umbrella and ran back to the house, each in a similar state of concern.

Hakoda was waiting by the truck an hour later. He helped them secure a tarp over their luggage in the back. Aang was about to climb into the back as well, but Katara grabbed his arm.

"Aang, it's pouring," she pointed out flatly. "You're riding in the cab with us."

"There isn't room," Aang replied.

"You'll sit on my lap if you have to," she said airily.

"I'll what?" Aang's voice cracked in his haste to respond.

"There will be none of that," Hakoda said sternly. "Figure out a more appropriate way or both of you are riding in the back."

"I was kidding," Katara snorted. "Come on, we can fit in one seat."

So the two of them ended up beside each other on the passenger seat. Though they were so close, Katara was practically in his lap anyway, prompting Aang to be very still and quiet.

"Be careful, Dad," Sokka said quietly, speaking to his father through the window.

"You two," Hakoda replied. "Keep each other safe, alright? Everything will be fine."

"Bye Dad," Katara called.

Hakoda leaned up into the window. "Bye, sweetheart," he smiled at his daughter. He turned his gaze to Aang a moment later. "You watch out for her."

Aang nodded silently. Katara rolled her eyes.

"I can take care of myself," she pointed out, irritated. But she smiled a little. "But I appreciate the thought."

"Time to go," Sokka said. Hakoda waved as the truck pulled away. Katara sighed.

"Everything will be fine," she said quietly, more to herself than the others.

The ride through the city was long and quiet. Hardly anyone was out in the rain. Katara fell asleep halfway through town, head finding the nearest comfortable spot in the truck: Aang's shoulder.

"She seems to like using you as a pillow," Sokka pointed out.

"I suppose," Aang replied quietly, trying not to wake her. He reached up and stroked her back on impulse. "We're just… comfortable around each other."

"Have I ever told you my philosophy on sleeping?"

"No. What is it?"

"You really have to trust somebody to fall asleep with them."

Aang nodded slowly. "That makes sense," he murmured, hand still trailing up and down Katara's back. He rested his head lightly on hers, yawning. "I trust you guys…"

"She trusts you too," Sokka said lightly. "From day one."

"Sleep… sounds trustworthy…" Aang sighed, closing his eyes. Katara took a slow breath and turned closer to Aang's side, snuggling her face into the hollow between his neck and shoulder. He jumped slightly, startled, but she didn't wake up. He glanced at Sokka, who was smirking as he watched the road.

"She's like a cat," Aang muttered.

"What do you mean?"

"She just curls up next to whatever warm thing she can find."

"Really? I never noticed. Maybe it just started recently."

Aang smiled a little, settling back beside her. Maybe it was just him that she was willing to curl up next to. He sighed. He knew he shouldn't get his hopes up, but she was so close it was hard to think straight. And she smelled kind of delicious…

"Stay with me…" he murmured in his sleep.

Sokka rolled his eyes. Katara sighed, smiling.

0000000

"Guys, wake up."

"Don't wanna…" Katara murmured, clenching a fist in Aang's shirt.

"Aang, help me out here."

"Rise and shine, Dollface."

"Don't wanna," she repeated, burying her face in Aang's shoulder.

"Young lady, step away from the Avatar."

Katara blinked in surprise. "Pakku?" she asked. She smiled at the sight of the older man standing outside the truck.

"Well well, don't we look comfortable," Pakku said slyly, smirking.

Katara sat up, rubbing her eyes with one hand and steadying herself with the other hand on Aang's chest. He smiled, rolling his eyes.

"I'm not your headboard, Dollface," he pointed out, lifting her off his lap and setting her on her feet outside the truck. She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Funny, Sparky," she said airily, smirking. "Thanks for the ride."

He blushed instantly. Pakku laughed.

"Breaking hearts as usual I see, little Aphrodite," he said, shaking his head.

"What are you talking about?" she snorted, turning and looking Aang slowly up and down. "His is the first heart I've set my sights on in years."

"Buh…" was all Aang managed.

"Katara, don't give Aang a heart attack," Sokka barked from the back of the truck as he and a few Riversiders unloaded their sparse things. "If you kill him, Dad won't be happy."

"Just a little good-natured bantering, right Sparky?"

Aang finally gained his bearings, hopping out of the truck and grabbing her around the waist. "Right you are, Dollface," he said airily, kissing a wide-eyed Katara on her burning cheek before moving to join Sokka at the back of the truck. Katara stood rooted to the spot. Pakku burst out laughing.

"Looks like you've met your match," he said, grinning. He looked over at Aang, who was shrugging at Sokka's death glare as he pulled Appa out of the truck. "I'm impressed."

"So am I," she laughed in response. The man smiled at her and opened his arms. She hugged him. "It's good to see you, Pakku."

"You could visit more often," he replied sourly.

She smiled frankly. "Well once I mastered waterbending there wasn't much reason to come back, was there?" she said lightly. He frowned at her and she laughed. "You haven't called me little Aphrodite since I was a kid."

"You still are a kid," Pakku pointed out. "And I think the name fits you more and more every day."

"Meaning?"

"Well I started calling you that because you were always in the water," he explained calmly. "Kana used to tell people you were born out of river water, you've got it in your blood. But you know what else Aphrodite is famous for, don't you?"

Katara sighed, turning her gaze to Aang without thinking about it. "Any man that looked at her fell in love with her," she said quietly. "So you think he just likes me because I'm pretty."

Pakku laughed, shaking his head. "That she is known for, true," he consented. "But I was simply referring to the fact that Aphrodite was the goddess of love."

Katara started slightly. "Love?" she repeated, glancing between Aang and Pakku. "I don't love him."

"I wasn't talking about you," he replied, nodding toward Aang.

"He doesn't love me," Katara amended carefully. "I've only known him for a month. He couldn't possibly…"

"Possibly, probably, perhaps," Pakku sighed, waving the matter aside.

Katara shook her head. "We're just friends," she said firmly, clearly dismissing the subject. He nodded respectfully.

"Very well then, Aphrodite," he said with a smile. "I'll take you three to your temporary home."

Katara smiled sadly. She wasn't little Aphrodite anymore. Now, she was just Aphrodite. Stealing hearts, ripping them right out of men's chests, just because she was pretty. But she couldn't help but smile when Aang and his dog roamed into her line of sight, looking around the distillery with interest as they moved toward their temporary home.

There was something about the way he looked at her that made her feel like she was more than just pretty.

"You there, Dollface?"

Katara blinked in surprise. She had drifted to a stop, staring off into space. Aang was before her, waving a hand in front of her face. She smiled.

"No, Sparky, I'm neither here nor there," she replied airily, linking her arm through his. "I am Aphrodite."

He smiled at her in a perplexed sort of way. "Aphrodite?" he scoffed. "Dollface, she's got nothing on you."

Katara laughed as the two of them resumed walking, arm-in-arm. "Keep talking like that and you'll have my heart out of my chest before I can get my hands on yours," she said lightly, laughter in her voice.

"Baby, I'll give it to you right now if you want it," he said slyly, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

"Aang, stop," she laughed, giving him a playful shove. "Now you're just making fun of me."

"Not on your life," he replied, holding his hands up defensively when she aimed a punch at his arm.

Sokka and Pakku paused a moment to look back, making sure the two of them were okay. As they watched, Aang darted behind her and grabbed her around the waist, lifting her off the ground and spinning her until she was laughing out loud.

"So are those two dating?" Pakku asked bluntly.

"No," Sokka replied, sounding confused. "But not a lot would have to change, would it?"

"Not a lot indeed," Pakku chuckled, shaking his head. "I've never seen her take such a shine to somebody."

"She never has," Sokka said honestly as they resumed walking. "Not even Jet."

"Are you still hung up about Jet?" Pakku said, sounding as though he was chastising Sokka for mentioning it. "That was two years ago."

"Two years, two decades, it still happened," Sokka grumbled.

"So she's not allowed to make one mistake?"

"She is," Sokka argued. "That doesn't mean I'll forget about it."

Pakku sighed and shook his head. "Never mind," he muttered. He stopped outside a long, low building. "Here we are." Aang, Katara, and Appa caught up moments later and he led them in. The door opened onto a long hallway that appeared to be composed entirely of doors. Most of the Riversiders lived at the distilleries.

"There's only one open room at the moment, so the three of you will have to share," Pakku said, opening a door near the end of the hall. They all peered in. It was a small room with a bed and two cots. Sokka dropped onto the bed immediately. Katara just rolled her eyes.

"Thanks Pakku," she said with a smile.

"You remember where everything is?"

"Yep, don't worry about it."

"Okay, track me down if you need anything."

Pakku waved and closed the door behind him, leaving the three of them and Appa in their small room. Katara took a seat on her cot and glanced out the window.

"I'm worried about Dad," she said quietly. Aang sat down on his own cot and Appa hopped up next to him.

"He knows what he's doing," Sokka replied calmly, lying back on his bed. "This isn't the first time the distillery has been attacked."

Katara glanced sharply at him. "Don't remind me," she muttered. Aang looked at her for a moment before returning his attention to his dog. He seemed to remember hearing about the Southern Distillery being attacked about six years ago… and then it came together in his head. Her mother had been killed the last time the Dragons attacked the Southern Distillery. He shifted in his seat, automatically moving to put a hand on her shoulder, but he managed to stop himself. Sokka was watching him. He cleared his throat and looked out the window.

"I'm gonna head out," Sokka said after a long silence.

"Looking for someone?" Katara asked with a smirk.

Sokka shot a glare at her and walked out the door.

"Who is he looking for?" Aang asked once he was gone.

"The guy in charge here, Chief Arnook, has this daughter," Katara said, grinning. "She's Sokka's age. We've known her forever, our families are friends. But Sokka's been completely in love with her for ages."

"What about Suki?" Aang asked, perplexed. Appa rolled onto his back and Aang started rubbing his stomach.

"Trust me, if Yue would stop shooting down Sokka's advances, his relationship with Suki would go from casual making out to awkward conversation," she said frankly, shaking her head.

"She keeps shooting him down?"

"Well… not in so many words," Katara laughed. "She's kind of shy, truth be told. She doesn't talk a lot, and Sokka takes that to mean she's not interested. Frankly, I think she just doesn't know how to react. Sokka can come on a little strong. Especially when he's nervous."

"I don't think I've ever seen Sokka nervous."

"Well if you want to, we can just find Yue."

"Shall we?"

"Sure, I'll show you around."

Aang and Katara got to their feet and left the room, Appa trailing behind.


	10. Chapter 10

_Sorry these have been taking so much longer than usual for me. It's been giving me trouble and my free time is becoming less and less... uh... existent. But here it is, at long last. Now the fun begins._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar_

* * *

CHAPTER 10

The Southern Distillery and the Northern Distillery were very similar. They were both composed of numerous separate buildings heaped together rather haphazardly. The Northern Distillery, however, was quite a bit larger, and instead of being arranged on one side of the river, it was spread out on both sides. A network of bridges, truck bridges and foot bridges alike, crisscrossed the river within the boundaries of the distillery.

The Northern Distillery almost seemed like a small city to Aang. Everyone seemed to know Katara. The Riversiders were like one big family, something Aang could relate to. The Aces had been the same way.

After a while they gave up on trying to find Sokka. Katara led Aang to a shallower part of the river beneath one of the foot bridges to waterbend. Appa splashed around nearby. When waterbending, Katara and Aang both went barefoot and rolled their pants up to their knees. Katara would strip down to the tank top she wore beneath her shirt. Aang would do away with a shirt completely. It was one of the only times, apart from sleeping, that he wouldn't wear his hat.

The water was high and rushing from the rain that had only stopped a few minutes before they arrived. Katara had taught Aang a great deal of waterbending already, and he was progressing fast. It hadn't taken her long to master it, and he was easily matching her pace. Though he was rather difficult to teach at times. He was always eager to learn, but he was easily distracted and clearly preferred airbending.

The two of them had only been practicing for a short while when something of greater interest roamed into view.

"Aang, shh, look," Katara hissed suddenly, dropping the water back into the river and grabbing his arm. It took her a moment to remember he wasn't wearing a shirt. She blushed and let go of him, hastily putting a few feet between them. He smiled at her, looking politely confused. She shook her head and pointed up at the nearest bridge. Sokka and Yue were crossing, talking quietly.

Aang had never seen Yue before. She had dark skin like Katara, but her hair was what caught his attention. It wasn't dark like most Riversiders, it was white. Sokka said something that made her laugh and she placed a hand on his arm. A moment later when they continued walking, Sokka tripped on his own feet and fell out of sight. Aang and Katara burst out laughing.

"You were right, he does make an idiot of himself around her," Aang laughed, wiping his eyes.

"You should hear him talking to her, it's better than a free screening of The Jazz Singer," Katara replied, placing a hand on his arm to steady herself while she worked her giggles out. Aang immediately slipped on the river bottom and went splashing head-first into the cold water.

0000000

"So who's that boy your sister was walking around with?" Yue asked, taking a seat on the river bank toward the north end of the distillery.

Sokka sat down beside her, tossing some grass into the water and watching it flow with the current.

"His name's Aang," Sokka replied. "He's an Ace."

"Really?" Yue glanced at him, surprised. "I thought they were all killed."

"We thought so too," he nodded. "But then we found him."

"He likes Katara."

"Don't remind me."

Yue laughed. "I've missed you two, you should come around more often," she said quietly.

"Okay," Sokka blurted immediately. "I mean… I will. Katara might uh… be busy, though. Would it be okay if it was just me?"

Yue turned and looked at him for a few seconds. He shifted nervously under her gaze. She smiled. "Yeah, it'd be okay," she said quietly.

He looked at her in surprise. She turned and looked back at the river, blushing faintly.

"Yue, I have to ask you…"

She held up a hand to stop him. "I really shouldn't be spending time with you," she blurted.

Sokka frowned. "What?"

"I'm sorry, Sokka," she sighed. "I shouldn't be leading you on."

"Leading me on?" Sokka repeated quietly. He looked down. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. I mean… a guy like me with a beautiful girl like you…"

He didn't get a chance to say anything else, because Yue chose that moment to throw caution to the wind and grabbed Sokka by the back of the head, drawing his mouth swiftly to hers. Several moments later when she pulled away, Sokka looked as though he was going to fall into the river.

"Okay… now I'm really confused," he admitted after a lengthy silence. "Happy, but confused."

"I'm spoken for, Sokka," Yue sighed. "I'm engaged."

"Engaged," Sokka repeated tonelessly. "You're engaged."

She nodded miserably.

"Do you want to be engaged?"

She looked at him in surprise. "Well… he comes from a good family and my father says it's the reasonable thing to…"

"That's not what I asked you."

She didn't answer. He sighed and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Okay, okay… that's fine," he said, sounding tired. "We can still be friends, can't we?"

Yue smiled sadly. "I'd like that," she sighed. "I'm so sorry, Sokka…"

"It's not your fault," he said with a smile. Yue frowned.

"What's that?" she asked, leaning over to get a better look at the river. Sokka did the same, eyes narrowing. Something upstream was darkening the water. It looked like motor oil…

"Oh no…" he muttered, jumping to his feet. He grabbed Yue's hand and pulled her up beside him. "Where's your father?"

"What? I don't know," Yue said, bewildered. "What's going on?"

"Sokka!"

Sokka turned to find Aang and Katara racing toward him, both dripping wet. They were both barefoot, Aang was shirtless, and Katara was down to a tank top. Their bare legs were stained black.

"Sokka, it's… they're…" Katara panted, pointing at her legs. "What do we do?"

"What's going on?" Aang asked loudly.

"That's what I'd like to know," Yue added.

"This happened once before at the Southern Distillery," Sokka said darkly.

"What is it?" Yue asked, crouching down to look at Katara's legs.

"Motor oil," Katara replied nervously.

"The Dragons aren't attacking our distillery," Sokka sighed. "They're attacking here."

Aang and Yue fell silent.

"Yue, where's your father?" Sokka asked again.

"Come on, follow me," she said quickly, grabbing Sokka's elbow and racing off toward the bar. Katara took a deep, settling breath and closed her eyes.

"You okay?" Aang asked quietly, hesitantly touching her shoulder.

"It's just like last time," she said under her breath. "Except I still had my mother then."

"Well this time you've got me," Aang blurted before he could stop himself. Katara looked up at him. He flushed in embarrassment. She moved forward in the blink of an eye, pulling him into a hug.

"Katara…" he muttered, blushing even more. "I'm all covered in oil…"

"So am I, what's your point?"

Aang smiled. "Come on, we left our clothes by the foot bridge," he said quietly.

"Oh, right, let's go."

0000000

When Katara and Aang got to the bar, no longer up to their waists in motor oil, Sokka was already addressing Arnook and Pakku.

"They dump motor oil in the river before they attack," he was saying quietly.

"Why? It just gives them away," Arnook replied. "Gives us time to prepare."

"The oil makes it harder to bend the river water," Katara said quickly. Pakku and Arnook looked over at her. She sighed and looked down. "They alert us to their presence, but they take away our best weapon."

"You can't bend at all?" Arnook asked darkly.

"You still can," Pakku corrected quietly. "It just makes it very difficult, especially if they coat the whole river with the stuff."

"We don't have a lot of time," Sokka said quickly. "They'll probably come down the river in boats, that's what they did six years ago."

"Alright, let's get ready then," Arnook sighed. "Get everyone together. I want every single Riversider in the center hall in three minutes. Go!"

The bar emptied around them. Yue sat down abruptly, and Katara took a seat beside her.

"Kind of hard to take in, isn't it?" Katara said quietly, placing a comforting hand on the older girl's back.

"Yeah."

Aang looked down at Appa, tail swishing back and forth over the floor. "I'm taking Appa back to the room. I'll meet you guys at the center hall."

"Hurry back," Katara said quietly as he left.

"Come on," Sokka said after a few moments of silence. "We'd better go."

Aang jogged back over the river while everyone else was racing the other way. The atmosphere felt familiar and it was making him nervous. The dormitories were completely empty by the time he got there. He opened the door to their room, just two cots and a bed with their bags lying on the floor.

"You stay here, okay Buddy?"

Appa barked and sat down on Sokka's bed. Aang smiled.

"Good boy."

He closed the door behind him and made his way slowly back across the river.

0000000

Zuko and Iroh stood on a street corner at the north end of town, watching the motor oil drift down the river.

"I don't understand," Zuko said flatly. "I thought he was going to attack the Southern Distillery so he could get the Avatar."

"Zhao may not appear to be so, but he is a clever strategist," Iroh said slowly, eyes following the course of a bubble in the oil. "The Southern Distillery will have gotten wind of the attack. From what I know of Hakoda, he is very protective of his children. He probably sent them somewhere safe. And his daughter's boyfriend would be sure to join them."

"The Avatar is at the Northern Distillery," Zuko finished for him. "And Zhao actually asked for your help?"

Iroh nodded. "And I accepted," he replied tiredly. "Because he thinks you skipped town."

"How did that happen exactly?"

"You know… I actually have no idea. I think the Chopper Boys started a rumor by mistake."

"I suppose we should use it to our advantage."

"It's your decision."

Zuko sighed. "Okay, let's make a plan."

0000000

"Katara…"

"Shh, Aang, Arnook is talking."

Aang glanced around quickly. Katara, Sokka, and Yue were all sitting in the back of the center hall. Arnook was telling everyone what was happening. He had just finished explaining what Pakku and Katara had told him about the motor oil and moved on to naming Hahn as the leader of a special team. Aang sighed and placed a hand on Katara's back.

"Katara," he whispered again. She looked at him, slightly surprised. "I need to talk to you." Katara watched him for only a moment longer before she got to her feet and took his hand, pulling him out of the center hall.

"What's wrong?" she asked quietly once they were outside. "Are you okay?"

"Katara…" he sighed, eyes glued to his feet. "I'm the Avatar."

"I know," Katara smiled a little, perplexed.

"It's just… this is what I'm here for, isn't it?" he said quietly, rubbing the back of his neck. "To… I dunno… resolve conflicts like this."

"I suppose," she murmured, beginning to understand where his train of thought was going. "But this isn't your responsibility, Aang."

"What if they switched the attack to here because I'm here?" he blurted.

Katara opened her mouth to respond but wasn't sure what to say. "I hadn't thought of that," she admitted quietly.

"I'm just burdening everyone," he sighed. "Maybe they'd call off the attack if I turned myself over."

All of a sudden her hands were on his shoulders, trying to bring his focus back to her. "Don't say that," she whispered. He still stared at his shoes, so she slid her hands up from his shoulders to the sides of his face, turning him to look at her. "You're not going anywhere."

"But I'm putting everyone in danger."

"Who's to say they're not here for me and Sokka?" Katara replied, smiling gently. "Plenty of high ranking Dragons would pay through the nose for Hakoda's Kids."

Aang took her wrists and pulled her hands from his face. "I suppose that's possible," he admitted, glancing away from her again.

"Aang, don't worry," Katara said, taking hold of his shoulders again. "Nobody expects you to be anything more than Aang today."

"Thanks, Katara," Aang sighed, smiling a little. "But I expect more from myself. I'm not going to be unconscious in the cellar this time. I'm… I'm gonna make a difference… this time…"

Katara looked at him steadily as he dropped his gaze to the ground again. She smiled and stepped closer to him, straightening his hat. He glanced up at her.

"Hold onto that, okay?" she said quietly. He smiled.

"Okay."

The two of them reentered the center hall as quietly as they could. Sokka was fuming in his seat, and Yue looked terribly embarrassed, not to mention miserable.

"What happened?" Katara hissed at her brother.

"Oh nothing," Sokka muttered mutinously. "I just pointed out that Hahn is a moron, so I'm not allowed to fight. Apparently Arnook has some special assignment for me."

"Sokka…" Katara sighed, shaking her head.

"What? I'm right," he growled.

Yue buried her face in her hands, groaning.

"Embarrassed for your fiancé?" Sokka said through gritted teeth. Yue scowled at him. Aang and Katara froze.

"You're engaged to Hahn?" Katara whispered doubtfully.

Yue groaned again. "Can we talk about this later?"

Suddenly, the hall was emptying around them.

"Oh great," Sokka sighed, getting to his feet and marching to the front of the hall. Yue remained in her seat, scowling. Aang and Katara exchanged a mystified glance before getting up and following Sokka.

"What do you want me to do?" Sokka asked flatly as he approached Arnook.

Arnook looked at him in confusion. "Something wrong, Sokka?"

"You're not letting me fight," he replied tonelessly. "I'm one of Hakoda's Kids, Chief Arnook. I'm the best."

"I know," Arnook said lightly. "I have a more important assignment for you." He glanced toward the back of the room where Yue was still glowering. "I want you to protect my daughter."

Sokka started. "What?"

"She's not a waterbender or a fighter like your sister," Arnook said quietly. Katara grinned and pretended to brush her shoulders off. Aang laughed. "She was never meant to be a bootlegger. I need you to watch out for her."

Sokka glanced back at Yue, still fuming in her seat. "Okay," he sighed.

"So you're a fighter, huh?" Aang laughed.

"Hey, I may be small, but I'm scrappy," Katara replied, smirking.

"So what do you need us to do?" Aang asked Arnook.

"Well… your father sent you here to be safe, so maybe it would be best if you stayed in your room."

"No," Katara said instantly. "We're here, we're going to help."

Arnook smiled, shaking his head. "That's what I thought you'd say," he sighed. "Well, the two of you can help Pakku and the other waterbenders. With all that motor oil in the river, we'll need all the help we can get."

Katara nodded. "Okay," she said simply, turning to Aang. "Looks like we get to put your waterbending to practical use."

"Don't worry about it, you're a great teacher," he replied lightly as he turned and headed for the door. She smiled and followed him.

Sokka moved to the back of the hall and sat back down next to Yue.

"So I'm supposed to babysit you," he said flatly.

Yue glared at him. "How can you babysit me when we're the same age?"

Sokka sighed. "Fine, your dad told me to protect you."

Yue looked down. "Well… I don't mind spending time with you," she murmured.

Sokka glanced at her. He sighed again. "Yue…"

"Look, I'm not married yet," she snapped. "I can still… enjoy being with you, can't I?"

Sokka couldn't stop himself from smiling a little. "Come on, let's go find a safe place to watch."

Yue nodded. "I know where we can go."

0000000

Katara and Aang stood on the river bank, looking down into the muck that was once clear water. Katara sighed and looked up at the other side. It was a very wide river and would probably accommodate a lot of Dragons in their boats. This was a full scale invasion of the Northern Distillery.

"This is gross," Aang said flatly.

Katara nodded. "It messes up the river for weeks," she muttered. "Kills all sorts of wildlife, too."

"Is there any way to get rid of it?" Aang wondered aloud.

"Yeah, but it takes a while," she sighed. "We'll basically have to clean the river by hand. But there's no time for that now. Right now we have to get used to waterbending with polluted water."

Aang nodded and Katara settled into her stance. She closed her eyes, reaching for the water. It came rather slowly, moving sluggishly through the air. She looked at the water suspended between her hands and grimaced. The water was dark and murky. It was difficult to manipulate. Aang attempted to pull water from the river for himself, but he couldn't even get it up the bank.

"This is gonna be tough," Aang sighed. Katara smiled gently and passed the water she already had to Aang.

"Practice with that," she said lightly, pulling more water from the river. She twisted it in her hands, slowly pulling the oil away. She sighed again. "I hate this."

"It's not that bad," Aang muttered, concentrating on his water. "It just takes some getting used to." He moved one of his hands too fast and the water dropped to the ground, getting oil all over his shoes.

Katara tossed her own water back into the river and looked out at the oily mess.

"I don't think we're ready for this," she sighed. Aang didn't reply. Moments later, however, he gasped.

"Look."

Katara glanced upriver. A single river boat was emerging from the evening gloom.

"There's just one?" Aang asked quietly. Katara shook her head. "Oh." The next boat appeared, followed by another… and another…

"We're in trouble."


	11. Chapter 11

_Okay, so... I'm having serious motivation issues right now, sorry guys. I'm jonesing from lack of Avatar and my concentration has moved to other things. I'm sure it'll go back when the new episodes air, but until then... there probably won't be another chapter for a while, so sorry..._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar_

* * *

CHAPTER 11

Yue led Sokka to one of the older buildings in the center of the distillery. It was small and rather unimpressive compared to the surrounding warehouses, but there was an old wooden watch tower sprouting from the center that towered over the distillery.

"What is this place?" Sokka asked as he closed the door behind them. It was rather dark, as the only light came in through the opening in the roof for the watch tower. But what Sokka could see didn't make much sense.

There was no floor. The grass continued into the building from outside. Moss was creeping up the old brick walls on all sides. The room was warm and the air felt a little damp, but there was something fresh and springy about it. The center of the room was occupied by the wood scaffolding of the watch tower- complete with winding staircase- that punched through the ceiling and out into the grey evening. But what caught Sokka's attention was the far side of the room.

A squat rock formation was snug up against the back wall. Water was trickling from somewhere within the stone, feeding into a large pool, perfectly round and edged with river stones. Cattails sprouted at the edges and water lilies floated in the dark water. In the center of the pool was a small island of grass, just big enough for three or four people to sit on. The only way to get to the island was across a rather slippery-looking line of stepping stones.

"It's a natural spring," Yue said quietly as she and Sokka stood at the edge, looking into the deep water. "It feeds into the river through an underground stream. It's been here forever. This was one of the first buildings on the distillery, to keep the spring safe."

"Why? It's just a spring," Sokka remarked, jumping slightly when a frog croaked within the cattails.

"It's not just a spring," Yue corrected him. "This used to be a sacred place."

"Sacred?"

"Yeah… like it's close to the Spirit World."

Sokka rolled his eyes. "Again with this spirit stuff," he sighed. "My sister believes in spirits, the Avatar believes in spirits…"

"He is a spirit."

"That's beside the point."

Yue rolled her eyes. "Come on," she sighed, turning back toward the center of the room. "We've got a few stairs to climb."

That was an understatement. Sokka was out of breath by the time they reached the top of the watchtower. It was just a wooden platform with a railing and a roof, leaving the sides open for them to see all around.

"Oh… the fighting's started," Yue said quietly. Sokka joined her at the railing facing the river. The sheer number of river boats was enough to make Yue gasp. Sokka wasn't surprised. He'd seen it all before. Even from this distance it was clear that the waterbenders were having trouble with the oily water. It didn't take him long to pick out where Aang and Katara were. Aang was airbending, and Katara was doing more damage than anyone else on the river. She had experience with the circumstances, after all.

As the two of them watched, Aang leapt from the river bank and landed on one of the boats. Sokka couldn't really see what was going on, but a few minutes later the boat was sinking and Aang was jumping to the next.

"At least Aang and Katara are doing some damage," Sokka sighed, gripping the railing rather more tightly than he needed to. Yue glanced at him.

"You really want to be down there, don't you?" she asked quietly. Sokka didn't say anything. "I'm sorry, Sokka. My dad's right… I'm not a fighter like your sister."

Sokka laughed lightly. "My sister is unique," he said frankly. Down below, several shouts rang out as Katara sent a tidal wave crashing down on the nearest boat. It went spinning into the next boat and the two crashed into the opposite bank. Aang landed on the bank next to her and Sokka laughed when he saw them high five.

"Well if I was unique like her, you wouldn't be stuck up here," she pointed out. Sokka's hands tightened on the railing again when Katara was forced to form a wall of ice in front of herself, Aang, and three other Riversiders to block a barrage of bullets and fire blasts. Then Aang was jumping again, back to sinking the boats from within.

"I'm glad we're both up here," Sokka said abruptly. "That way you won't get hurt."

Yue smiled gently. "What about Aang and Katara? Aren't you worried about them?"

"Of course I am," Sokka sighed. "But I know what they're both capable of. Katara is the best waterbender I've ever seen, and Aang's the Avatar. And besides that…" He stopped, leaving the sentence hanging.

"Besides that?" Yue prompted.

Sokka glanced away, sighing. "Aang would never let anything happen to her," he said quietly.

Yue smiled. "He loves her," she said simply. Sokka gave her a sharp look.

"What? What are you talking about?" he demanded, his voice squeaking toward the end of the question. "They've only known each other for a month."

Yue laughed, amused by his reaction. "And judging by the way he looks at her, he's loved her for most of that month," she continued calmly. He scowled at her. She gave him a look. "You don't believe me?"

Sokka opened his mouth to respond, but then more shouting erupted from below. They both looked down in surprise. Several of the boats had made it to the shore. Each one was carrying two vehicles that appeared to be armored cars.

"Armored cars?" Sokka growled. "Really?" He groaned. "Only Dragons…"

Riversiders were falling left and right as fire blasts and bullets streamed out of the windows of the trucks. Waterbenders were fleeing the banks to seek cover. Aang was still leaping from boat to boat.

"Where's Katara?" Sokka said suddenly, leaning over the railing to get a better look around. "Do you see her anywhere?"

"I'm right here," Katara said, panting as she reached the top of the stairs. Yue and Sokka turned in surprise. She slumped to the floor against the railing beside them, oil covering her arms and legs. "There are so many of them…"

"You're a mess," Sokka pointed out, kneeling in front of her. she scowled at him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm alright," she sighed, wiping her hands on her pants. "But I'm worried about Aang…"

Something thumped against the roof of the tower and they all jumped. Aang appeared over the edge moments later, dropping into the tower with the others. He sat down next to Katara.

"Don't be," he sighed. She smiled and reached toward him, brushing some oil from his cheek. He sighed and smiled back, a little miserably. "What are we going to do? I mean… I'm just one guy…"

"Aang, I told you," Katara said quietly. "Nobody expects you to be anything more than Aang today. We both helped as much as we could handle."

"You guys did a lot of damage down there," Sokka agreed. "If they hadn't gotten ashore, you could have taken out the whole fleet."

Aang sighed again and leaned his head on Katara's shoulder, exhausted. She turned slightly pink under the oil on her cheeks.

"I'm sorry," he sighed.

"Stop," Katara replied tiredly, her head dropping onto his.

Yue and Sokka looked out over the distillery again. The firebenders were advancing slowly. Yue looked up. The sky was growing darker, the silver moon appearing.

"Good news," she said quietly. "The moon is coming out, and it's almost full. The waterbenders will be able to overcome the firebenders, even with the oil."

"How come?" Aang asked, stifling a yawn.

"The moon makes waterbending more powerful," Katara answered. "The first waterbenders learned from the way the moon and the ocean pushed and pulled each other."

"I owe my life to the moon spirit," Yue added quietly.

Sokka and Katara had heard this story as children, but Aang was interested. "How so?" he asked, glancing at her.

"There's a legend that the spring at the base of this tower is a path to the Spirit World because the moon spirit and the ocean spirit live at its origin deep underground," Yue explained quietly. "When I was born, I was really sick. The doctor didn't think I'd make it through the night. So my father took me to the spring and placed me in the water. My hair turned white, and I got better."

"A path to the Spirit World…" Aang said quietly. "Isn't the Avatar supposed to be able to go to the Spirit World?"

"It's in all the stories," Katara sighed.

"Maybe I can go into the Spirit World and get the spirits to help us," he said, jumping to his feet and startling Katara.

"Do you even know how to get there?" Sokka asked doubtfully.

"I'm the Avatar," Aang shrugged. "Maybe it'll just come to me when I get there."

The four of them descended from the tower and approached the spring. Aang crossed the stepping stones to the center island and sat down.

"So… what happens now?" Yue asked quietly.

"I don't know," Aang admitted, looking around.

"Maybe you should meditate," Katara suggested.

"This sounds boring, I'm going to see what's going on outside," Sokka said, turning and leaving the building.

Yue sighed. "I should probably go with him," she muttered, turning and following him.

Katara sat down across the pond from Aang. He had closed his eyes and settled into a meditative pose. She knew airbenders were trained to meditate, so this should be easy for him. But he kept opening his eyes and glancing at her.

"Something wrong?" she asked.

"Uh… no," Aang said hastily. He was about to say she was distracting him, but she wasn't doing anything. Her presence was just distracting to him. But he couldn't tell her that. He sighed and attempted to put her out of his mind, but he couldn't help it. He kept opening his eyes. She was tired, damp, and covered in oil. She was a complete mess. But she was still so damned beautiful…

"Aang," she laughed. He winced, realizing he'd been openly staring. "What are you staring at?"

"Sorry, I'm having trouble concentrating," he muttered.

"You want me to leave?"

"No," he said abruptly. She smiled. He sighed heavily. "Just let me try again."

She didn't reply, but she didn't leave either. He closed his eyes tightly and focused solely on the spring. If he really was the Avatar, which was apparent now that he could waterbend, then he would be able to do this.

Katara watched silently, patiently. She couldn't help but feel rather self-satisfied. She was just sitting there and he was distracted by her. Then again, now wasn't the best time. Her eyes widened as her musings were interrupted. Aang had taken a slow breath and his tattoos began to glow beneath his hat and the oil on his hands.

He had crossed into the Spirit World.

Katara got to her feet and hopped across the stepping stones, kneeling in front of him. "Aang?" she whispered. He didn't respond. She tilted her head, finding herself completely free to study him without interruption. How strange… he was here, and yet he wasn't. She bit her lip and glanced around, making sure no one else was in the room. Grinning on a childish impulse, she lifted his hat from his head and ran her fingers through his hair. She'd wanted to do that since they met, though she couldn't imagine why. He'd probably let her do it if she asked, but this was so much easier…

"Enjoying yourself?"

Katara jumped and dropped his hat. She got to her feet and whirled around, expecting to see Sokka smirking at her. She started in surprise.

"Zuko?" she gasped.

"Well well, you know my name," the firebender said lightly. "I hope you won't be offended that I have no idea who you are."

"Offended? Hardly," Katara replied darkly, carefully placing herself between Aang and Zuko. "I don't care if you call me River Trash a thousand times. You're not laying a hand on him."

"But you can?" he replied, smirking.

She knew he was baiting her, and she refused to give him the satisfaction. Instead, she looked down and brushed a hand through Aang's hair again. "Why yes, I can," she said airily, fixing the former Dragon with a cool stare.

Zuko rolled his eyes. "Uncle told me I shouldn't mess with the Avatar's girlfriend, but if you're not going to get out of my way…"

Katara immediately opened her mouth to inform him that she wasn't the Avatar's girlfriend, but she stopped herself. Maybe it was advantageous to let him think she was.

"I'm not going to get out of your way," she pointed out simply. She glanced around. "Where's your usual gang of mid-life crises?"

"Just me," he said, shrugging. "And I'm not leaving without your boyfriend."

"Well you're not leaving with him either, so it looks like you're stuck."

"Wrong answer," he growled, finally getting angry. Katara smirked in triumph. This seemed to anger him more and he jumped forward, sending a fireball straight at her. She pulled a wall of water from the spring without thinking, extinguishing the fire, spinning the water back behind herself, and then launching it back at Zuko. He was thrown off his feet and skidded backwards on the grass. Katara leapt over the pond, sending wave after wave at him before he could get to his feet.

"You little pest," he growled, getting to his feet. "You're a master?"

"Didn't take you long to figure that out," she snorted. But then he was running at her, throwing flaming punches and kicks as fast as he could. Katara stepped back, dodging between his hands and using water to extinguish any limb that got too close. She finally felt the edge of the pond behind her and stepped to the side. He lost his balance and she pushed him, sending him head first into the deep water. With a nearly careless flick of her wrists, she rose a pillar of water beneath him, launched it across the room, and froze him to the wall. He struggled for just a moment before losing consciousness.

Katara sighed, smiling in satisfaction. She'd wanted to do that for a while now. She hopped back to the center island and sat down in front of Aang again.

"Don't worry," she sighed, tilting her head a little as she looked at him again. He looked very different without his hat. Younger. She smiled and got back to her feet to keep an eye on Zuko. "I've got your back."

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Aang opened his eyes, confused. He had closed his eyes in one place and now he was… elsewhere. No more Katara to distract him. No more anyone.

"Hello?" he called. He looked around. "This place is weird…" He got to his feet and stretched. Everything seemed kind of… brown. The sky was full of grey and amber clouds that seemed to be hanging low over the ground but at the same time looked miles away. He was in a swamp of some kind, as far as he could tell. The water was murky and reflecting the sky. Giant gnarled trees stood all around him, spreading knotted roots into the swamp. Thick vines hung down like snakes. The whole place was very quiet and very old. The only places he could relate it to were the bayous down south which he had visited on one or two occasions in his childhood.

"Hello," he called again. There was no echo, all the sound sinking into the bog. He sighed and glanced down into the water again. He jumped. Someone else's reflection was looking back at him.

"Hello," the old man in the water said. Aang nearly fell over. The man rose up out of the water. He was very old, Aang could tell immediately. He had a long white beard and dark red robes the likes of which Aang had never seen.

"Who are you?" Aang asked, not unkindly.

"I am you," the old man replied with a small smile.

Aang stared. "Could you uh… be a little more specific?"

The old man laughed lightly for just a moment. "My name is Roku, and I am one of your past lives," he answered sagely.

"Oh, right," Aang muttered. "Uh… hi." He looked Roku up and down. "I've never seen clothes like that before."

"That is because I am your past life from 400 years ago."

Aang found himself staring again. "Oh… Um… why?"

"The Avatar Spirit was lost, Aang," Roku said calmly. "For the past 400 years, there have been Avatars unaware of their true power and potential. You are the first to be found since my lifetime."

"Wow."

Roku chuckled again. "Yes, but since I am the last fully realized Avatar in the Spirit World, I was sent to teach you."

"Teach me what?"

Roku smiled in a way that reminded Aang strongly of Gyatso. "Everything you need to be taught."

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Katara sighed as she wove a few blades of grass together. She was bored. They were in the middle of a huge siege, and she was bored. Zuko was still unconscious, Aang was still in the Spirit World, Sokka and Yue were who knows where, and she was left by herself with a load of grass.

Without thinking, she started humming.

She heard Aang sigh behind her and jumped. She looked at him curiously. What looked like a trace of a smile was on his lips. Maybe he was still connected to the real world. After all, her love song always made him smile.

Morning was approaching. She glanced up at the watchtower. Sunlight was streaming in. Behind her, Zuko was stirring. Before she knew he was awake, he was dropping down from his ice prison and running at her, pulling back and flaming fist. She jumped to her feet and tried to use a water wall as a shield, but he blasted right through it and she was thrown back to the ground. Her head hit the ground painfully hard. She looked up and saw Zuko grabbing Aang by the collar of his shirt.

"You rise with the moon," he said darkly. "I rise with the sun."

She tried to get up. She tried to move. She had to stop him… he was taking Aang… But she couldn't fight the darkness creeping into her vision.

0000000

"You should push forward with the attack now, the full moon is tonight."

Zhao smiled belittlingly in Iroh's direction. "Don't worry, Iroh," he said calmly. The two of them stood on the deck of a larger boat, anchored upriver from the distillery.

"If you don't do something, they'll hold you back until nightfall," Iroh continued, unheeded. "Riversiders are notorious for their iron defenses. And if you can't make the final strike by the full moon, it's all over."

"Please, I repeat myself, don't worry," Zhao sighed, sounding disrespectfully bored. "I plan to remove the moon as a factor."

"Remove the moon?" Iroh repeated sharply.

"I found an interesting bit of folklore in the old library on Fifth and Main several years ago," Zhao drawled, sounding immensely smug. "Apparently, the Moon Spirit lives in the physical world, right here at this distillery."

"What are you planning to do, Zhao?" Iroh asked darkly. "The spirits should not be trifled with."

"Yes yes, I know you're a spirit-fearing man," Zhao sighed. "I've even heard of your trip to the Spirit World. But I assure you, there's nothing to worry about."

Iroh sighed and fell silent, hoping his nephew was having more luck.


	12. Chapter 12

_Much sooner than anticipated, here is chap 12. You can thank the History Channel for it. There's a documentary on rumrunners on right now because of St Patrick's Day, haha. I was inspired. Temperance, pffft, what a load. Morals are for yellowbellies!_

_Yes, I'm making history jokes. Leave me alone._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar_

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CHAPTER 12

"I understand your confusion, Aang," Roku said quietly as Aang asked what must have been his hundredth question. "But our time is limited."

"Oh, right, the siege," Aang blurted. "Is there any way the spirits can help me?"

"Some spirits have taken up permanent residence in the physical world," Roku replied. "The Knowledge Spirit, Wan Shi Tong, was one of the first. The Sun Spirit nearly went with him, if I recall the stories correctly. His is a rather fascinating story, I'll have to tell you some time…"

"Where is the Knowledge Spirit?" Aang asked quickly.

"He travels, actually," Roku said thoughtfully. "You won't find him in time. I know of two others, the Moon and Ocean Spirits. But I do not know where they reside."

"Yue said they live at the origin of the spring at the distillery," Aang answered hastily.

"I do not know for sure. But there is one spirit old enough to know."

"Who?"

"His name is Koh," Roku said darkly. "He is ancient and sinister. When you meet him, you must be very careful. He is called the Face Stealer, for if you show any emotion, he will steal your face."

"What!" Aang burst out. He heaved a frustrated sigh and scratched the back of his neck. "This Avatar stuff stinks."

"It gets easier," Roku said with a smile. "Koh lives not far from here. Just follow the path." A section of earth rose from the swamp, winding up a nearby hillside and into the amber clouds. "Remember, show no fear. Show no emotion at all."

"Thank you, Avatar Roku," Aang said quickly, bowing to the old man and taking off at a run.

0000000

"Katara! Katara, get up!"

Katara opened her eyes, groaning. She sat up slowly, rubbing her sore head. Sokka was crouched beside her, Yue hovering behind.

"What…" she began, looking around. She was sitting on the center island of the spring, and on the grass beside her was Aang's hat. "Oh… oh no…" She buried her face in her hands. "He took Aang… He took him right out from under me…"

"Who?" Sokka asked, bewildered.

"Zuko," she muttered, taking the old hat in her hands.

"What was he doing here?" Sokka growled in exasperation.

"Where were you?" Katara shouted suddenly, jumping to her feet. Sokka stepped back in surprise. "You could have helped me! You could have protected Aang!"

"We were helping out there," Sokka pointed at the door. "The siege? Ringing any bells?"

"But… Aang…" she replied brokenly. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "We have to find him."

"Well they can't have gotten far," Yue pointed out. "It's getting hard to get anywhere out there."

"How long was I out?" Katara asked miserably.

"What's the last thing you remember?"

"Sunrise."

"Well it's been quite a while, then," Yue said carefully. "It's approaching noon."

"What!" Katara turned on her brother and he stepped back again. "They could be long gone."

"I doubt it," Sokka replied grimly. "It's a battlefield out there, he's not going anywhere fast."

"We have to go," Katara said abruptly, turning toward the door.

"Katara, can we think about this for a-" Sokka began, but she grabbed him by the shirt and pulled, effortlessly bringing him to her eye level.

"We have to go," she repeated through gritted teeth. She released him after several seconds and swept off toward the door. Yue snorted with laughter. Sokka scowled.

"She wrecked my shirt," he grunted, tucking his shirt back in and stalking after his sister. Yue rolled her eyes and silently followed the siblings.

0000000

Aang felt as though he had been walking for days, though it had probably only been a few hours. To stop from worrying about having a conversation with a face-stealing spirit, he allowed his mind to wander. Sometime while he was talking to Avatar Roku, he could have sworn he had heard something familiar. He didn't think he was hearing it physically, like the sound was going directly to his mind. Roku certainly didn't seem to notice.

So he reached a simple conclusion. He was still connected to the physical world. He smiled a little. There was no mistaking Katara's love song.

He finally came to the top of the rocky slope he had been following up through the clouds for hours. These mountains were like none he had ever seen. Each was more like a giant pillar protruding from the clouds. A few had more of the strange, gnarled trees growing on top. But of course, the mountain he had been climbing was different from the others. A single tree covered the entire summit, if it was big enough to be called a summit. A gaping hole in the twisted roots led into a cave that appeared to curl down into the mountain. Aang frowned, sniffing distastefully at the stale tunnel air.

He sighed. "Show no fear," he muttered, straightening his jacket and setting off into the darkness.

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"Katara! How many times do I have to tell you to stay low!" Sokka growled, grabbing his sister's arm and pulling her behind a garden shed as a bullet whizzed over her head, nearly dislodging Aang's hat.

"There's no time to say low!" Katara hissed back. "We have to find him."

"Katara," he grumbled, holding onto her arm as she tried to pull out of his grip and take off again. Shouts rang out behind them and something exploded. Sokka and Yue both ducked instinctually. Katara tried to run again. Sokka held fast to her elbow.

"Katara," he repeated. "I know you're worried, but if you get shot, it will take us even longer to get to him."

She scowled and stopped struggling.

"And frankly, I don't need the attitude," he added. Katara glanced away.

"It's okay to be worried about him, Katara," Yue said quietly. "You don't have to cover it up with your temper."

Katara sighed. "I don't want him to get hurt," she murmured. "If he does, it's my fault."

"Katara…" Sokka sighed, sounding tired.

"I lost, he got away," Katara counted off on her fingers. She glanced at Sokka and pointed at herself. "My fault."

"Whatever," Sokka grumbled, rocking back on his heels into a crouching position and peering around the side of the shed. "If you want to blame yourself, go right ahead. But it's not your fault." Yue smiled. Sokka looked back at them. "Come on, it's clear."

Yue and Katara followed him at a crouch.

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Aang glanced around as he walked slowly into the cave. It was a strange, dry place, gold light flooding in from the wide entrance. Roots of the tree above him curled down into the tunnel.

"Hello?" Aang called, arranging his face into the least emotional expression he could manage. "I'm looking for a spirit named Koh."

He heard something move above him and stopped. He could feel something else in the cave. Something big. In a flurry of clicking and crunching, this something dropped from the ceiling in front of him. Or rather it crawled fast enough that it might as well have dropped.

"Welcome," the thing hissed, its voice low and calm. The first thing Aang saw was legs. Legs… legs everywhere. Ugly insect legs, hundreds of them along a long centipede shell. But this was like no centipede Aang had ever seen. It was huge, massive, and with a human face just inches from his. But this wasn't a normal face, either. It was painted white with blood red lips.

Aang bowed calmly. "Thank you," he said tonelessly.

Koh, as Aang assumed this thing to be, moved around behind him in a flash of leggy movement. Aang remained still.

"My old friend, the Avatar," Koh said calmly. His voice was strangely hypnotic, low and rolling. "It's been a long time."

"You know me?" Aang asked, sounding almost bored. This spirit was creeping him out, so he tried to focus on something else. The first thing that came to mind was Katara, which wouldn't do him any good. He might start smiling like an idiot and get his face stolen. So he just thought of that song… that wonderful, calming song that had somehow reached him even in the Spirit World.

"How could I forget you?" Koh replied in that same rolling voice. The next time he turned to Aang, his face was different. He now appeared to be a middle-aged man with sideburns, a mustache, and a strong brow drawn down over his eyes. He was nearly nose-to-nose with Aang, clearly trying to surprise him. "One of your previous incarnations tried to kill me. It was eight or nine hundred years ago."

Aang, still getting used to the whole "previous incarnations" thing, wasn't sure how to respond. "I didn't know that," he began, still humming in his head. "Why did he… or I… try to kill you?"

"Oh…" Koh began, sounding off-handedly sinister. His face changed again, this time into a young woman with long dark hair. Aang was reminded alarmingly of Katara, but he didn't let it show. "It was something about stealing the face of someone you loved." His face changed abruptly into that of a baboon, laughing cruelly. "Of course, that's all behind us. Why should I hold a grudge against you for something in a past life? After all, you're a different person now." He curled around behind Aang, speaking into his ear. "You've come to mewith a new face."

Aang closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

0000000

Zuko glanced over when Aang, eyes closed, hands and legs bound, took a deep breath. He frowned.

"Kidnapping an unconscious kid in the middle of a siege shouldn't be this difficult," he muttered. "But no, once again my bad luck has come in and messed everything up."

Aang remained motionless, heedless to Zuko's muttering. The firebender sighed and kicked an old tin can across the ground. He was sitting just inside the open entrance of one of the old buildings near the southern end of the distillery on the river's edge. It had fallen into disrepair and disuse long ago, now overgrown with moss and half crumbling. The siege had spread over the entire distillery and he was forced into hiding from the warring water and firebenders.

"You're lucky, like my sister," Zuko continued. "Before my people killed yours, you probably had a normal life. And you have one again, now, with those Riversiders." He glanced at the Avatar, still as stone. "You get to be a regular teenager, you get to go shopping and dance with your girlfriend in a clothing store. Not me. I've had to fight to get where I am, and I'm nowhere."

He looked sourly out the doorway into the waning noon light. It was getting hard to hear over the gunfire.

"I've worked for everything I have, and then it just got taken away in an instant," he continued quietly. "My place in the gang, at my father's side. Gone in an instant. I was supposed to be the mayor, I'm the oldest. But no, now Azula will win again. Unless I bring you back."

The young Avatar frowned, the first change Zuko had seen in him.

"I will bring you to my father, and everything will go back to the way it was."

0000000

Aang carefully maintained eye contact with the now owl-faced spirit. Koh curled around him, getting far too close for comfort.

"It's been a long time since I've added a child's face to my collection," he said smoothly, placing emphasis on the word child in an attempt to annoy him. Aang didn't rise to the occasion. "So, how may I help you?"

"I need to find the Moon and the Ocean," Aang replied calmly.

"Their spirit names are Tui and La," Koh said, sounding bored. "Push and Pull. And that has been the nature of their relationship for all time."

Aang found this information rather unhelpful and was beginning to think this giant bug was wasting his time on purpose.

"Please, help me find them," he said evenly. "An entire culture could be destroyed if I don't get their help."

Koh's owl face turned into that of an old man. "Oh, you think you need their help?" he asked, a touch of mocking in his voice. "Actually, it's quite the other way around."

Suddenly, the spirit turned and moved in a flash, face suddenly inches from Aang's. The old man was replaced with a blue ogre face with red eyes and huge pointed teeth. "Someone's going to kill them," he shouted abruptly. 

Aang, by some miracle, didn't flinch. He closed his eyes briefly, concentrating on the song… the song in his head that was rapidly fading away. He was uncomfortable of a little bit frightened, though he would never admit it.

"What do you mean? How can I find them and protect them?" he asked slowly.

Koh backed away from him slightly, giving Aang a chance to breath. His face switched back to the white painted one. "You weren't far away when you came into the Spirit World," he said lazily. He curled back around Aang as he talked. "Tui and La, your Moon and Ocean, have always circled each other in an eternal dance. They balance each other, push and pull, life and death, good and evil, yin… and yang. They are the origin of waterbending."

"The origin…" Aang began thoughtfully. He grinned in comprehension. "The origin of the spring!"

Koh turned abruptly, hearing the change in his voice. But Aang's face was back to its neutral expression.

"I must be going now," he said impassively.

Koh turned away from him. "We'll meet again," he said darkly.

Aang turned and walked out of the cave. As soon as he reached the outside air, he took off running.

000000

The fighting was getting louder as evening approached. The full moon was appearing in the grey sky and the firebenders were getting the business end of it. Sokka, Yue, and Katara were now able to move freely toward the south end of the distillery since Katara could easily protect all three of them. But with the full moon's heightened strength came heightened perception.

As the three of them raced along the shore, Katara stopped dead and pushed her brother behind a nearby building. She grabbed Yue's arm and pulled her after him.

"What was that for?" Sokka snapped, rubbing his lower back.

"Shh," she hissed, pointing at the river. They peered around the corner. The biggest river boat they'd seen yet had anchored just north of their position, and two men stepped out. Katara and Sokka recognized one of them as Zuko's Uncle Iroh. The other was a high-ranking Dragon named Zhao who was, as far as the Riversiders knew, making a bid for the chief of police position.

"Follow me, boys," he called, and a great deal of Dragons followed them out of the boat. Katara leaned a little further around the corner just as Iroh glanced in their direction. She ducked out of sight, but it was too late. They had made eye contact, there was no mistaking it. She closed her eyes, straining her ears so she would know when he ordered the attack.

But it never came. She heard the footsteps of the Dragons moving away and glanced around the corner again. Iroh hadn't moved. He looked right back at her but didn't say a word. She stared at him, confused. He shook his head pointedly. Katara started in surprise. The older man turned and followed the rest of the Dragons.

"Whose side is he on?" Katara whispered.

"What?" Sokka asked, having missed the silent exchange.

Katara shook her head. "Um… nothing, come on."

0000000

At long last, Aang was back where he started. He looked around, wondering how to get back, when his reflection came to life once again.

"You've done well, Aang," Avatar Roku said quietly.

"How can you tell?"

"You still have a face," Roku smiled.

"Oh right…" Aang muttered. "Um, how do I get back?"

"Allow me," Roku replied, placing a hand on Aang's shoulder. He felt himself growing lighter as if he was disappearing. Roku smiled. "Good luck, Aang."

And suddenly, he was back at the spring, growing dark as the evening gained speed. "Katara?" he called, looking around. "Katara, where…" He looked down at his hands. They were blue and translucent. "What the… I'm still in the Spirit World?" He spun on the spot, searching the ground. "Where's my body?"

In a flash of light, he was flying through the air like a comet.

0000000

Katara looked up. Something bright and fast was moving through the night sky straight in the direction they were going.

"Look! That's gotta be Aang!" she shouted, breaking into a spring. Sokka and Yue followed her, bewildered.

0000000

Aang gasped when his spirit re-entered his body. He sat up abruptly, tugging at the ropes around his wrists and ankles.

"Welcome back," Zuko said darkly from the open entrance of the old building.

Aang scowled at him. If Zuko had captured him, that only meant one thing. He had hurt Katara. "Good to be back," he growled, taking a deep breath and blowing Zuko into the wall. The wind propelled him out of the building and unsteadily onto his tied feet. Zuko was already after him, grabbing him by the collar.

"Nice try," he growled. "But you're not going anywhere, Fly Boy."

"Wrong answer," Katara shouted as she came running into Zuko's range of vision, already pulling oily water from the nearby river and bashing Zuko to the ground with it before he could react. Sokka was already working to untie Aang. As soon as he was free and on his feet, Katara had him.

"I'm sorry," she muttered into his shoulder. "I'm sorry, it's all my fault."

"Katara, I just got back," Aang laughed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I was watching you, I was supposed to protect you," she replied miserably. "But he beat me and he took you and I'm sorry."

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

"Me? What about you?"

"I'm fine, I'm not the one that fought him," he said gently. "Are you okay, Katara?"

She smiled, touched by his concern. "I'm okay," she replied, very quietly, into his shoulder.

"He didn't hurt you?"

"No, no… I'm okay…"

"So… um… Spirit World," Sokka said loudly. The two of them pulled apart, glancing at him. "How'd that go?" Yue rolled her eyes.

"Oh, right," Aang said seriously. Katara smiled. "The Spirits are in trouble. We have to get back to the spring, fast."

Sokka sighed. "Okay, let's go," he said quickly, and the four of them started running through the dark distillery.


	13. Chapter 13

_Sorry this took a while guyssss... But it's here. Don't you love how I managed to fit the entire first season into like ten chapters and the last two episodes have taken me like three? Haha. Whatever._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar_

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CHAPTER 13

Aang, Sokka, Katara, and Yue were forced to stop several times in their efforts to get back to the spring. Sokka was getting annoyed. A firebender went running past with a crate of moonshine while the four of them took cover behind an overturned truck. Without flinching, Sokka shot him and grabbed the crate, hauling it back to their hiding place.

"Sokka, what the hell?" Yue hissed.

Katara smiled at her, impressed. Yue, like it or not, was more like Katara than she knew.

Sokka pried the crate open with his knife. Six glass jars of clear liquid sat inside. There had been eight, but two had shattered when Sokka shot the Dragon. He pulled one of the jars out and handed it to his sister.

"It hasn't aged at all so it's got a lot of kick," he pointed out.

"I know that," Katara replied, looking over the jar with the scrutiny only the daughter of an elite moonshiner could pull off. She unscrewed the jar and sniffed it, wincing a little. "Damn…"

"I was telling Aang and Yue," he growled.

"Why are we drinking right now?" Yue asked when he handed her a jar.

"Good question," Aang consented when Katara passed a jar to him.

"It's tradition at the Southern Distillery," she replied, holding up her jar to look at it with the moonlight behind it. "This is quite a job we're pulling, so you toast for good luck."

"Common courtesy," Sokka added. He sat back against the truck, glancing at Yue at his left, Katara and Aang at his right, and held out his jar. "Cheers."

Katara smiled a little and clinked her glass with his. "To high treason," she said lightly. Aang and Yue followed suit, and the four of them tipped the jars back. They fell silent as the alcohol burned its way down, all gazing skyward as the sounds of gunfire and ice breaking surrounded them. Aang glanced to his left, watching as Katara closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and sipped from her jar again.

"You've got my hat," he pointed out quietly, taking another drink from his own jar.

She glanced upward at the brim of the old hat over her eyes. "Oh… sorry," she murmured, reaching up to remove it.

"Don't apologize," he said with a smile, beating her to it and holding the hat on her head. She looked at him, perplexed. "It looks good on you."

She laughed a little and tugged his hand away, pulling off the hat and turning toward him. She bit her lip and studied him for a moment. He tilted his head a little, waiting. She sighed, throwing caution to the wind and running a hand through his hair. He froze in surprise and she dropped the hat back on his head, smiling.

"Looks better on you," she replied quietly. She raised her jar expectantly. He followed suit after several seconds. They both leaned forward, crossed arms, and took a drink. She licked her lips thoughtfully, smiling at him. "Cheers."

All four of them, having grown up at distilleries and speakeasies, knew better than to take more than a few drinks. So, the jars of white lightning were abandoned in the shadow of the truck and they started running once again.

0000000

Zhao and his band of Dragons had finally reached the spring, the full moon high in the sky.

"The Moon Spirit lives at the origin of this spring," Zhao said quietly, staring at the dark little spring in the cramped old building as though it was a bug he was about to crush under his shoe. "It is so old, it has been here so long, its physical form is no longer its only attachment to the physical world. The spirit and the spring are practically one being." The Dragons behind him exchanged doubtful glances. "If I destroy the spring… I destroy the Moon Spirit."

Without warning, he slammed a flaming fist to the grass at his feet. The fire grew slowly, creeping around the outer edge of the spring.

Overhead, the moon slowly turned from silver to red.

0000000

Katara and Yue both stopped dead halfway between two buildings. Aang faltered and missed a step while he was running. Sokka skidded to a halt.

"What's the matter with you guys?" he shouted as a barrage of bullets sank into the wall next to them. He turned and fired back in the direction from whence they came. No more bullets came in their direction.

"Sokka… the moon…" Katara choked out, lifting a hand to her forehead in discomfort. Yue looked to be in a similar amount of pain, pressing the heels of her hands to her eyes. Aang had flattened a hand on his chest and was taking settling breaths as he stepped back toward the girls.

Sokka glanced up at the sky, alarmed to see the moon turning red. "What's going on?" he said sharply.

"The Moon Spirit's in danger," Aang gasped, finally regaining his bearings. He placed a hand on Katara's back, a silent gesture to check that she was okay. She offered him a tired smile in response.

"Come on," he said quietly, taking her hand. "We have to go." She gave her head a brisk shake to clear it and allowed him to lead her, still feeling rather dizzy. Sokka similarly grabbed Yue and the four of them ran off again, the smoke shrouded watchtower looming over them.

0000000

"I… I am a legend now," Zhao said lowly, spreading his arms wide and looking up at the sky, red light glaring in. Smoke poured from the wet grass and moss. The fire was spreading up the mossy walls and over the grass floor, reflecting in the glassy water. "The whole world will remember me for generations. Zhao who darkened the moon. Zhao the Conqueror. Zhao, Moon Slayer." He laughed and turned away from the spring. "Zhao the Invincible!"

At that moment, Katara came running out of the smoke and delivered a solid punch to his stomach, knocking the breath out of him.

"You took away my waterbending, you ass!" she shouted, attempting to leap at him like a cat. But Aang emerged from the smoke behind her, grabbing her around the waist and holding her back with a great deal of difficulty.

"Katara," Aang said through gritted teeth. "Stop, please."

She ceased struggling so quickly, Aang wasn't ready for it yet and the two of them tumbled over backwards.

"Oh yeah, that's threatening," Sokka sighed as he and Yue appeared, batting smoke away from their faces so they could see.

"Ah… sorry," Katara muttered, sitting up and glancing down at Aang, whom she had landed on top of. His hands were still on her waist, which he accidently squeezed in an attempt to sit up. It tickled and she started laughing, rolling off of him. He pulled his hands from her sides, blushing. Sokka slapped a hand to his forehead and hauled Katara off the ground, leaving Aang to airbend himself to his feet.

Zhao was staring at them. "Well if you were trying to make a dramatic entrance, you wrecked it," he pointed out darkly.

"Can I punch him again?" Katara asked in a chilling deadpan, clenching her fists at her sides. Aang placed a steady hand on her back but didn't say anything.

"The Avatar, how nice to see you again," Zhao said silkily, smirking at Aang. Katara turned to him.

"Again?" she asked quietly.

"We've met," Aang replied darkly, eyes narrowing.

"Well you're too late," Zhao shouted. "As soon as I set fire to the center island, the Moon Spirit will die."

"Zhao, don't," Aang said quickly, holding up his hands in a placating gesture. "You haven't stopped to think about the consequences of your actions."

"It's my destiny," he replied quietly, smirking. "To destroy the Moon Spirit." He looked pointedly at Katara. "And the Riversiders."

Katara growled and Aang's hand pressed closer to her back.

"Destroying the moon hurts the whole world, Zhao, not just the Riversiders," Aang shouted. "You don't know what kind of chaos you would bring."

"He's right, Zhao."

Everyone turned in surprise. Iroh sagely approached the burning spring, standing in the space between the Dragons and Aang.

Zhao laughed. "Why am I not surprised by this treachery?" he said coolly.

"I'm no traitor, Zhao," Iroh replied darkly. "Everyone needs to Moon Spirit, including the Dragons. We all depend on the balance."

Zhao didn't move. He just glared at the ground.

"Whatever you to do that Spirit, I'll unleash on you tenfold," Iroh thundered, taking up an attack stance.

The room fell silent but for the crackling of the flames, slowly filling the room with smoke. Zhao turned back toward the spring, hands hanging at his sides. Nobody moved for what felt like a very long time.

Suddenly, Zhao let out a roar of anger, throwing a great stream of fire at the center island of the spring and setting it ablaze. Before anyone could react, Iroh leapt forward, firebending faster than any of the teenagers had ever seen and taking out all of the Dragons in the room. Zhao's reaction was to flee. Aang and Katara looked up.

The moon had disappeared from the sky.

Yue fell to her knees beside them. Katara nearly went down with her, but Aang kept her on her feet with an arm around her waist. Sokka crouched beside Yue, glaring up at the flaming spring. Iroh stood beside Aang and Katara, hanging his head.

"There's no hope now," he said quietly. He glanced at Aang and Katara. "It's over."

Katara gasped and everyone looked over. Aang had released her waist and she was on the ground beside him, staring up in surprise. Aang's eyes and tattoos were glowing white.

"No," he said, his voice low and layered with a thousand other voices that weren't his own. "It's not over."

Iroh crouched beside Katara, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. She would have been surprised, had she not been watching as Aang walked out into the spring, on top of the water. He stopped halfway between the shore and the island, fists pressed together as though in meditation.

"Aang," Katara whispered.

"Shh," Iroh hushed her, not unkindly. "He must be free of attachment to this world to use the power of the Spirits."

"Attachment?" Katara whispered back. "How does that have anything to do with me?"

He just drew a finger to his lips and pointed. Katara looked out at the spring. The water was glowing white. Aang suddenly dropped straight down into the water, vanishing from sight.

"Oh…" Katara began, attempting to move after him, but Iroh just patted her shoulder.

"It's alright," he said quietly. "The Spirits are protecting him now."

Yue gritted her teeth and groaned. Sokka started rubbing her back in as comforting a gesture as he could muster. The water began to shift and suddenly glowed bright blue. And as quickly as it came, it was gone, vanishing down deep into the spring.

"The underwater stream," Yue said feebly. "He's going out into the river."

Katara turned and raced to the center of the room, dashing up the stairs into the watchtower. Iroh followed her. When they reached the top, the river was beginning to glow, blue light bubbling up through the oil.

"Aang…" she whispered.

Iroh looked at her curiously. "You're the one that calls him Sparky," he said thoughtfully.

She glanced at him in surprise. "Yeah… how do you…" she began quietly. He smiled.

"I spoke to him for a short time when my nephew kidnapped him from your home," he answered. "He thinks you're very pretty."

Katara blushed and looked back at the river, watching as the oil slowly faded from the bright water.

"You really care about him," he said simply.

Katara turned on him, frowning. "You're a Dragon," she said bluntly. "Why are you… I mean…"

"At the heart of it, people are all just people," Iroh said quietly, turning his gaze to the river. "Distinctions like that… waterbender, Dragon, earthbender, Ace… when it comes right down to it, those don't matter. The world needs the moon, not just waterbenders or Riversiders. So when it's a matter of the world, people should just be people."

Katara nodded slowly. She felt as though she was understanding more and more about this old man every time they crossed paths.

"What about matters of the heart?" she asked quietly.

Iroh looked at her in surprise. She smiled a little and he laughed. "My goodness… You, young lady, are wise beyond your years," he chuckled. "In matters of the heart… people are just people. Ace or Riversider."

She glanced at him and he shrugged. She opened her mouth to respond, but at that moment, something huge, blue, and glowing reared up out of the river. It looked like a kind of koi fish with great arms and legs. At the heart of it, in a shimmering ball of air, was Aang. With a single motion of one arm, he swept half of the boats down the river. Katara's breath caught in her throat.

"Come," Iroh said quietly. "We should put the fire out."

0000000

Zhao was stopped in his tracks halfway to the river when an old copper still was hit by a fire ball and exploded in his path. He whirled around, ready to kill the Dragon responsible. He scowled.

"Zuko," he sighed. "What are you doing here? I thought you left."

"Rumor," Zuko replied. He settled down into a firebending stance. "Aren't you glad to see me?"

Zhao's face twisted into a terrible frown and he ran forward, throwing a flaming punch at Zuko. "You were the one in the mask at my speakeasy. You freed the Avatar," he roared.

Zuko blocked him and aimed a kick at Zhao's midsection. "I had no choice!" he shouted back as the two fell into a fast-paced duel in the grey half-light of the moonless night.

0000000

As Aang continued massacring the Dragons along the river, Katara was wading in the spring and splashing water up onto the center island while Iroh put out fires around the outer edge. Sokka was still sitting beside Yue, an arm around her shoulders. She was having trouble staying vertical.

It wasn't long until the fires were out, leaving only smoke, burned grass, and darkness in their wake. Iroh helped Katara out of the water. She sat dripping on the bank, rubbing her arms to keep warm. Iroh glanced over at Yue and Sokka. His eyes widened when he caught sight of Yue's bright blue eyes.

"Some of the Moon Spirit lives in you," he said quietly.

Yue looked up at him. She sighed and nodded. "And I think it's time I gave it back," she said firmly.

"What?" Sokka said sharply. "What are you talking about?"

"Sokka, I'm the only one that can save the Moon Spirit," Yue said quickly, pulling away from him.

"I promised your dad I'd protect you," Sokka said stubbornly, grabbing her hand when she tried to get to her feet. Katara stared diligently at the dark water of the spring, shivering. She didn't want Yue to die… but everybody needed the moon…

"Sokka, I have to," she said firmly, getting to her feet and tugging at his hand. He reluctantly released her. "Goodbye."

Yue smiled at him, then stepped out onto the spring just as Aang had so recently. Katara's eyes widened in surprise. In just a few moments, Yue was seated on the center island. She closed her eyes and the dead grass turned green again.

"No," Sokka said quietly as Yue disappeared before their eyes.

Katara looked up. The moon slowly appeared in the sky, shining bright and full. Sokka slumped where he sat, exhaling slowly. Defeated.

Katara silently wiped her eyes on the back of her hand. She wanted to say something, anything. But she couldn't imagine there was anything Sokka wanted to hear. He had really liked her, maybe even loved her. she tried to put herself in Sokka's place. What if it hadn't been Yue, but Aang?

The young waterbender sat up quickly. She didn't love Aang. Not like Sokka loved Yue. She glanced at her brother, both of them silent. No… couldn't be…

"Where'd Iroh go?" Sokka asked dully after what seemed like a very long silence. Katara glanced around.

"I don't know…" she admitted, surprised. The old man had disappeared. "I'm going to… go up in the watchtower. Will you be okay here?"

"Fine," he sighed.

Katara sighed and nodded, getting to her feet and beginning the long walk up the stairs. Every step made her more and more weary. She was so tired… Aang had been possessed by spirits, Yue had sacrificed herself for the moon…

The young waterbender froze at the top of the stairs, gasping. Aang was staring back at her. There he was, hovering within a sphere of air inside the chest of the great glowing spirit standing beside the watchtower. Katara exhaled slowly and carefully took the last few steps to the top of the tower. He didn't move, so she hesitantly approached the railing. She was unnerved by his gaze on her, his eyes glowing white, not a hint of the usual soulful grey eyes she had become so endeared to.

Katara swallowed hard and glanced down over the distillery. She didn't see any Dragons. No armored cars, no river boats. They were all gone. The distillery had never been so quiet.

"…Aang?" she said hesitantly, looking up at him. "Are you… is that you?"

The spirit that looked like Aang just stared at her, unmoving.

"Well if you can hear me," she said quickly, hands tightening on the railing. "The Dragons are gone. You can… come back now."

He still didn't move. Katara felt her breath coming rather quickly. She was starting to panic, she realized.

"Yue just died," she blurted. The spirit shifted slightly. "Yue is… she's gone. And I… I'm not doing so well. I'm kind of… I'm not okay. I'm not okay and I need Aang." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I need Aang, please."

The next thing she knew, the spirit had deposited Aang beside her and begun to retreat back toward the river. Katara dropped to her knees beside him, catching him before he hit the floor. He sat up shortly after, rubbing the back of his neck. The first thing he was consciously aware of was Katara throwing her arms around his neck and exhaling heavily into his shoulder.

"Katara?" he asked, startled.

"Yue's dead," she mumbled into his jacket, taking another deep breath. "She just gave her life back to the Moon Spirit."

Aang looked sharply up at the moon, shining overhead. It occurred to Aang that Yue had been a friend of Katara's for a very long time. But as far as he could tell, she wasn't crying. She had told Aang that she hadn't cried since she lost her mother. He didn't know what to say, so he just pulled her into his arms and waited for her breathing to settle.

0000000

On the riverbank below, even as the rest of the Dragons fled, Zhao and Zuko continued fighting without pause. They weren't going to stop until one of them was a clear winner.

Luckily, or perhaps unluckily, the choice was made for them.

The koi spirit, as it moved back toward the river after leaving Aang on the watchtower, passed right by the two of them as they fought. As it went by, a single arm shot out and snatched Zhao into its great glowing fist. It began its descent into the river and Zuko ran to the bank, extending a hand.

"Take my hand!" he shouted to Zhao on impulse.

Zhao just scowled at him and allowed the spirit to pull him into the river with him. Zuko could only stare in surprise as the glow faded into the depths and vanished, taking Zhao with it.


	14. Chapter 14

_Spring break is good for everyone._

_Here we have the end of SIEGE OF THE NORTH, AVATAR STATE, and the beginning of CAVE OF TWO LOVERS. Yay?_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar_

* * *

CHAPTER 14

"Guys, wake up. Time to go home."

Katara opened her eyes slowly, surprised by the sunlight streaming into her vision. She yawned, then jumped when she realized she was lying beside someone. Someone whose arms were around her and whose face was pressed against her neck. She looked up to find Sokka standing over her, hands in his pockets. She desperately tried to wake up and figure out what was going on, but she was very tired and details were filling in far too slowly.

She was in the watchtower and she had fallen asleep with Aang. There. That was easy enough.

"Home?" she asked, yawning.

"Yeah, battle's over," Sokka replied disinterestedly, glancing out over the distillery. "Pakku said we have to go home."

"Mmmkay," Katara murmured, eyes fluttering closed. "I'll just wake Aang…"

"Katara, seriously, wake up," Sokka sighed, turning to go back down the stairs.

Katara turned toward him on the floor, sighing. He pulled her a little closer in his sleep, hands warm on her back. She smiled gently. "Rise and shine, Sparky," she murmured tiredly, placing a hand on his chest. She was very comfortable beside him, she realized. "Wake up…"

"Hm?"

Katara heard Aang yawn and felt him shift. He froze, however, when he realized what was going on.

"Um… Katara? You awake?" he whispered.

"Trying not to be," she sighed. He sat up and she frowned. "Fine, I'm up."

He was looking around silently, taking it all in.

"It's over, huh?" he said quietly.

"Thanks to you," she yawned, stretching her arms over her head.

"I don't really remember what happened," he admitted, still looking around. "I went into the spring and… the next thing I remember, I was back here with you."

"A spirit overtook you," she explained vaguely, running her fingers through her hair. "And you got rid of all the Dragons. That's… about it."

"Oh," Aang said simply. "So now what?"

"Sokka said we're going home."

"Oh, okay."

The two of them got to their feet. Aang looked at her. She seemed to be avoiding his gaze. He paused, hesitantly reaching toward her. She turned and glanced at him when his hand touched her shoulder.

"You're not looking at me," he pointed out sadly.

"Don't be silly," she muttered, focusing intently on her hands.

"Why?" he asked firmly, taking his chin in her hand and forcing her eyes up to his. She bit her lip.

"I was scared," she blurted. He let go of her and she glanced away again. "It wasn't you, it wasn't Aang. I was talking to you and it was like you couldn't hear me. I thought you might be stuck like that… I was scared you wouldn't come back."

When she looked up at him nervously, he was smiling at her. He pulled her against him in a warm hug.

"I'll always come back," he said quietly.

She sighed and wrapped her arms around his torso, closing her eyes. "What's the hug for?"

"You looked like you needed one."

0000000

When Aang and Katara stepped out of the building containing the spring, they found the distillery to be rather worse for the wear. But the Riversiders were already rebuilding. Pakku and was waiting for them at their unused room.

"Well, I'm sorry your stay wasn't exactly relaxing," Pakku sighed, giving Katara a hug and shaking Aang's hand. "Well, Aang, it looks like you're in good hands when it comes to waterbending." Katara smiled a little and Aang nodded. Pakku gestured toward Katara. "And this one certainly cares about you."

Katara scowled at him. "Why say that out loud?" she sighed.

Pakku shrugged. Aang laughed. Appa let out a snore and rolled off of Sokka's bed, making the three of them jump.

Sokka was standing outside the building with Chief Arnook, both looking skyward at the pale shadow of the moon in the midmorning sky.

"Somehow, I knew this day would come," Arnook said heavily.

Sokka didn't respond. Katara, Aang, Pakku, and Appa emerged shortly.

"Thank you for the hospitality, Chief Arnook," Aang said, bowing respectfully.

"Anytime, Avatar Aang," Arnook replied, shaking his hand.

"Truck all packed?" Katara asked.

"Yep, we're ready to go," Sokka said quietly. "Thanks again."

They all exchanged their final goodbyes and loaded back into the truck, Aang sitting in the back with Appa since the weather was so nice.

"Are you okay?" Katara asked her brother quietly as they made their way through the city. The streets were just beginning to get busy, alive with people.

"Why do you ask?" Sokka replied tonelessly.

"Sokka…"

"I'll be fine," he said abruptly.

Katara knew better than to push him. He'd been quiet like this when their mother died as well.

"Okay," she said simply.

After a long pause, Sokka glanced at her quickly. "Thanks," he muttered.

"Don't mention it."

0000000

"You three are in so much trouble!"

Sokka, Katara, and Aang all stood in a line beside the truck, staring at their respective shoes. Hakoda had been waiting for them, and he looked very ill-tempered.

"I sent you there to avoid trouble," he shouted. "But when it comes, you stay? Have I taught you nothing?"

"You taught us to help people," Katara pointed out stubbornly. "That's what we were doing."

"You could've been killed," he continued as if he didn't hear her. "You're my best team."

Katara cleared her throat pointedly.

"And you're my kids," he added hastily. Aang smiled a little and Katara rolled her eyes.

"Go to your rooms," he finished lamely, pointing at the house.

Katara patted his shoulder as she walked past. "Good to see you too, Dad," she said, smirking. He pointed again. She shrugged and grabbed Aang's arm as he walked by, marching back to the house with Appa at their heels and Sokka trailing behind.

But as soon as they were out of Hakoda's sight, Katara veered off and went running across the distillery toward the river, Aang being dragged behind her. They ended up at the small hole in the fence that they had visited together what seemed like years ago but was really barely a month. Katara dropped down onto the grassy bank, Aang following suit.

"We made it," she sighed after several silent minutes.

"I didn't think we would," Aang admitted frankly.

"That Avatar State is really something," she began hesitantly after another lengthy silence.

Aang looked down. "Yeah, I guess."

She looked at him thoughtfully. "But you can't control it, can you?"

"No," he sighed. "I don't like it."

"Why? It's so powerful, you could probably take out Boss Ozai today if you wanted to," she said carefully, not quite meeting his eyes.

"You're scared of me," he said, sounding disappointed.

"No," she said quickly. "I'm not scared of you…" She still refused to look at him.

"Then what are you scared of?" he asked quietly.

"You were so angry," she sighed. "The only way for you to get into the Avatar State is for you to be hurt or scared or in pain. I don't like seeing you like that."

When she looked up, Aang was looking at her as though he had never seen her before.

"You really…" he began uncertainly. "You really care about me."

Katara smiled at him, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks. "Yeah, I do," she replied simply.

Aang grinned at her and lied back on the grass. She did the same.

"It's nice to be home," he sighed.

0000000

After the trying events at the Northern Distillery, Hakoda gave them a few days off from deliveries. Sokka wished he hadn't. It just gave him time to think, and that wasn't something he wanted to do.

Aang and Katara were enjoying the time. They spent most of it together, unsurprisingly, either waterbending or just wasting time around the distillery. They even got a chance to sneak off into the city when Katara's father was visiting the Northern Distillery.

It was the first perfect day of the spring. All sunlight, not a cloud in the sky. It had rained all day the day before, so the whole city seemed clean and beautiful. Everybody was out to enjoy it, and Aang and Katara were not about to pass up such an opportunity. So they snuck out of the distillery and took to the busy streets, strolling carelessly along the sidewalk and talking about nothing in particular while Appa trotted behind them.

"Gyatso gave him to me when he was a puppy," Aang was saying as they passed Oyaji's, waving to him through the window. "He's actually getting pretty old, I've had him for eight years now."

Katara smiled. "Well you do seem to be great with animals," she consented.

"I was raised underneath a pet shop, what did you expect?" he replied, nudging her shoulder.

Across the street, a few Dragons were walking the opposite direction on their way to collect payment from an earthbender-run speakeasy down the street. One of them stopped, catching sight of Aang and Katara.

"Hey, look," he hissed, pointing. The other two Dragons looked. "Isn't that the waterbender that was with the Avatar at the Northern Distillery?" These particular Dragons had been on one of the river boats Katara had massacred.

"You're right, and that's the Avatar," another one said quickly. "Come on, let's see where they're going."

0000000

"I'm surprised you're not out looking for the Avatar."

"I'm tired."

Iroh smiled at Zuko, sitting quietly in the booth of the diner toward the south end of the city.

"A man needs his rest," Iroh consented, nodding.

"Well isn't that a nice picture."

Iroh and Zuko looked up in surprise. Zuko sighed.

"Hello, Azula," Iroh said politely. "How is your father?"

"Oh, fine," Azula sighed carelessly, sitting down at the table without an invitation.

Azula, Zuko's younger sister, looked about as dangerous as she was. There was something dark and pointy about her that was hard to place. Her face was becoming more and more common these days as the mayoral election approached.

"I'm glad you mentioned Father, actually," she continued in her same bored way, scrutinizing her pointed nails. "He doesn't blame you at all for the failure at the Northern Distillery, Zuko. Some of his inner circle is getting treacherous, and he's realized that his family members are the only ones he can trust." She looked at Zuko directly for the first time since she arrived. "He wants you to come home, Zuko. He wants you to rejoin the gang."

Zuko stared at her in silence for a long time.

"I see this is too much for you to handle," she sighed, going back to looking at her nails. "I'll give you a moment to think about it." She got to her feet. "I'll be waiting outside."

"I'm… going home," Zuko said after a lengthy silence.

"Zuko, think about this," Iroh warned delicately. "I have never known my brother to regret anything. Ever."

"What, you're saying he doesn't want me to come back?" Zuko snapped.

"No," Iroh sighed, holding up his hands defensively. "I'm simply saying you shouldn't get your hopes up. Azula isn't always the most trustworthy."

"You can think all you want," Zuko said darkly, getting to his feet. "I'm going home."

Iroh sighed and followed him to the door. Azula was standing just outside, talking to another Dragon. Zuko paused, hearing her voice through the door.

"No, if you try to subdue them now, Iroh will just kill you all," she was growling. "We wait until we get back home."

Zuko froze, clenching his fists. Iroh grabbed him firmly by the elbow.

"Come on, we'll go out the back," he said through gritted teeth.

"I'm gonna make her pay for this," Zuko hissed, trying to pull away from Iroh's grasp.

"Live today, fight tomorrow," Iroh replied, pulling Zuko through the diner and out the back.

0000000

"I'm hungry."

"Me too."

Katara stopped and looked around the busy street, shielding her eyes from the sun with one hand. "Where should we go?" she asked lightly. "We're in the middle of the city, we're close to just about everything."

"You say you were hungry?"

Aang and Katara turned quickly. A tall, smiling man that neither recognized stood behind them.

"Sorry, couldn't help overhearing," he continued. "The name's Lee. My brother own a restaurant down the street. Sandwich sale, this weekend only. Lucky you, huh?"

Aang and Katara shared a glance. Aang shrugged. "I guess we could check it out."

"I was just on my way back," Lee said. "I can show you the way."

"Thanks," Katara said with a smile. "Come on, Appa."

The three of them followed the smiling man down the street. He chatted amiably the whole way.

"…Great pickles, too. Our grandma used to make pickles all the time, family recipe. She could slice tomatoes so thin, they were practically transparent. It was an art, really…"

He stopped at an unassuming store front. The sign hanging over the door simply read "Dao's Place." He held the door for them and followed them in.

Katara and Aang stopped dead. Two handguns were suddenly pointed at each of their heads, held by two men standing on either side of the door. Appa let out a bark and ran off. Aang did nothing to stop him.

"Aw shit," Katara sighed, annoyed. "And I'm still hungry, too."

"Well aren't you a feisty one?" the man on her side of the door said.

"Touch her and I'll kill you," Aang replied casually.

"That'd be a sight," Lee said, taking both of them by their elbows and dragging them through what turned out to be a bar. Katara recognized it. She'd delivered here before. Apparently the Dragons had taken it from the earthbenders she remembered. One of the Dragons opened a thick metal door at the back of the room behind the counter.

"This is a closet," Katara pointed out, peering into the small space populated by a mop, two buckets, and three empty crates that had doubtless held alcohol at some point. A bare light bulb hung from the ceiling, buzzing faintly.

"No, it's a cell," Lee replied, gesturing for the two of them to enter. They obliged and he closed it behind them. What sounded like a dozen locks were clicked and slid and turned into place. Then all was silent.

"Well they weren't that bad for Dragons," Katara obliged after several silent moments.

"Suppose we should try to escape?" Aang asked, looking at the door. He knocked on it. "Solid metal, whatever it is. Boy, this actually is a prison."

"Appa went for help, didn't he?" Katara asked with a smile.

"He's a smart dog," Aang shrugged, grinning. "We shouldn't be here too long." He sat down on the floor, leaning against the crate. Katara did the same, facing him.

"So now what?" she sighed.

"I don't know. What do you want to talk about?"

Katara thought for a moment. "Oh, you never told me what happened in the Spirit World," she said suddenly, smiling.

"You're right," Aang realized. "Okay, well, it wasn't what I expected at all..."

0000000

"I can't believe you didn't let me fight her," Zuko snarled, stalking through the backstreets of the busy city. They weren't nearly as crowded as downtown, but there was still plenty of pedestrian traffic.

"Are you kidding? She's crazy," Iroh exclaimed. "I do not doubt your skill, Zuko, but she will not hesitate to use underhanded tactics to get what she wants."

"And I will?"

"Well, yeah, you'll at least hesitate," Iroh replied, shrugging. "You probably got that from your mother's side of the family, though I like to think I'm hesitant at the right times as well…"

"Stop trying to change the subject," Zuko shouted, turning on the older man. "You realize we're on the enemies list of the Dragons now. We're not safe in our own city."

"Yes, that will serve to be rather irritating," Iroh obliged thoughtfully. "We can't go back to the apartment, that's for sure."

"Great, we're homeless," Zuko groaned in frustration.

A young woman, walking past the two of them, stopped upon hearing Zuko's outburst. She looked over at them and opened her mouth as though she was about to speak. But she paused. Zuko glanced at her.

"What?" he snarled.

She frowned. "I'm sorry, I just heard you saying you were homeless and I was going to offer you some help, but if you're going to be rude…"

"What kind of help?" Iroh asked before she could leave. Zuko scowled at him.

The girl shrugged. "Just some dinner," she replied lightly. "My mother always makes too much roast duck-"

"Where do you live exactly?" Iroh interrupted with a grin. Zuko rolled his eyes.


	15. Chapter 15

_I'm gonna come right out and say it. I don't like this chapter. I like the idea of this chapter, but it kind of... exploded upon launch. It doesn't flow right, and no matter how hard I try I can't get it to. So this is the best attempt out of like six, hahaaaa... How tragic._

_Now that you're looking forward to it being crap, here it is._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar_

* * *

CHAPTER 15

Katara made a wonderful audience. By the time Aang got to explaining Koh, she was sitting with her knees drawn up to her chin, eyes wide.

"How did you manage not to show any fear at all?" she asked quietly.

He smiled a little. "Actually, I have you to thank for that," he admitted.

She tilted her head a little, perplexed. "What did I do?"

"Well… earlier, when I was talking to Roku, I thought I heard you humming," he said thoughtfully. "So that love song was in my head when I went to find Koh. It kind of calmed me down, I guess."

"So you did hear me?" she asked, smiling. "You started smiling when I was humming. I didn't think you could hear me from the Spirit World."

Aang grinned. "Yeah, I didn't either," he admitted. "But I've been thinking a lot about that conversation I had with Koh…"

"What did he say?" Katara asked. He smiled at the genuine curiosity in her voice.

"Well… he said one of my past lives tried to kill him," Aang began thoughtfully.

"Why?"

A darker look suddenly came over Aang's face.

"He said he stole the face of someone I loved," he replied, voice dull and toneless. He looked up at Katara. "Someone I loved." She didn't say anything, unsure of what she could. "Can you believe that? I've been in love before. I've been married, I've had children. I mean… I'm fifteen. I'm not supposed to have been married and been in love."

Katara focused her gaze on her shoes, drawing her knees back up to her chin. "I've never really thought about that," she admitted. "It's a little scary, huh?"

"A little," he consented quietly. "But it's a little comforting, too."

"How so?"

He smiled a little. "It makes me feel more human, you know?" he said. She bit her lip thoughtfully, waiting for him to continue. "I've fallen in love in the past, so I can fall in love now."

"You thought you couldn't love someone?" she asked doubtfully.

"Well… I didn't know if the Avatar is allowed to get married and have kids and all that," he said simply. "This Avatar thing is weird like that. But now I know I can… and it makes it so much easier."

The two of them fell thoughtfully silent.

0000000

On the way to the girl's apartment, Zuko and Iroh learned her name was Song. She seemed to enjoy talking regardless of Zuko's silence. When she asked for their names, Zuko panicked a little. She would recognize the names Zuko and Iroh. Fake names… Lee was a really common name.

"Um, I'm Lee," he said abruptly. "And this is my uncle… Mushi."

Iroh scowled at him. "He was named after his father so we all call him Junior," he said cheerily. Zuko scowled right back.

0000000

Katara and Aang sat in the closet for at least two hours, playing as many time-consuming games as they could think of. They tried rock-paper-scissors, they played I-spy for about two minutes, they played twenty questions. They eventually had to make up games. They named every word they could think of that ended in the letter O. They tried to name a disease or affliction that started with every letter of the alphabet in order. It wasn't long before they ran out of ideas.

"What do you think love is?"

Katara started in surprise. They had been silent for so long, she hadn't expected it. She glanced up at him. He was sitting as she had been earlier, knees drawn up to his chin as he leveled a genuinely curious gaze at her. He had clearly been wondering about this for a while now. She thought about it for a few long moments.

"Love is… being completely willing to change the way you are for someone, even though that someone doesn't want you to change at all," she said at length. Aang's expression didn't change.

"I don't understand," he admitted shortly. She took another minute to think.

"To truly love someone, you have to love who they are, not who they could be. And you have to know that you'll keep loving them even if they do become all they could be," she began slowly, quietly. "It sounds a little complicated… but it's really the easiest thing in the world, I guess. You give your heart to someone and wish nothing in return. Just their heart… in exchange for yours."

She stopped, alarmed. She wasn't in love with anyone. How could she possibly know that?

"Give your heart to someone?" Aang repeated doubtfully.

"When you really love someone, you don't have a choice," she replied without thinking this time. "Your heart aches whenever he's around like… like your chest can barely hold it anymore. Because it doesn't belong there, you know? It belongs with him…" She paused, glancing up at him. He seemed to be hanging on her every word. She sighed. "That's the trouble with unrequited love. You've given away your heart… and you don't get his heart in return."

He didn't say anything. She looked away from him, silent again.

0000000

"I feel I should inform you that you are an excellent chef," Iroh said as he finished his third helping of duck.

"Thank you very much, Mushi," Song's mother said with a smile.

Song kept glancing at Zuko throughout the meal. He ignored her. Every question fired in his direction was deflected with a one word answer. He thanked them for the meal when he finished eating and had been sitting in silence since.

"If I may ask, where is your husband?" Iroh asked politely.

"I'm afraid he was killed a couple of months ago," Song's mother replied, a little sadly. "He was out there fighting with the Dragons for the speakeasy he worked at. They came after the house and he died in the fire."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Iroh said sincerely.

"What about you, Junior?" Song asked suddenly. "Where's your father?"

Iroh glanced furtively in his nephew's direction.

Zuko looked down. "He's out there fighting too," he said darkly.

The meal was cleared off the table and Zuko went outside for some air. Song quietly followed him.

"You don't talk much," she offered.

"No," he replied. The sun was straight above, warming the city with midday light.

"I understand, you know. The Dragons hurt you," she pushed after several moments of silence. She reached up toward his face, but he caught her wrist. She frowned. "They hurt me too."

She bent and pulled down one of her socks, revealing a severely burned ankle. Zuko didn't look at her.

0000000

Aang and Katara had resorted to asking each other any questions about themselves that they could think of.

"Favorite… uh… color?" Aang suggested.

Katara laughed. "We're really running out of ideas," she pointed out. "But it's blue."

"Mine too," Aang replied, thinking of the color of her eyes.

Their time in the closet was starting to wear on Katara. She certainly enjoyed the time alone to talk to him, but their proximity was making her nervous. She was becoming more and more aware of just how small this closet was, just how alone they were.

Just the way he was looking at her when he thought she wasn't paying attention.

"Favorite season?" Katara asked.

"Autumn."

"Winter."

"Oh, I have a real question," Aang said, excited. "Where did you learn to dance?"

Katara smiled, recalling their trip to Oyaji's. "My mother," she said simply, shrugging. She looked down and started fiddling with her sleeves. "I miss her."

Aang started in surprise. Katara never went into detail about her mother. He knew a few snatched things about her, but this was the most she had ever said about her. There was something weird about this closet. The longer they sat in it, the more inhibitions seemed to be disappearing.

"I know," he replied quietly. He sighed. "I'm all out of questions."

0000000

"Thank you for your hospitality," Iroh said as he and Zuko left the house. "It was delicious."

"Yes, thank you," Zuko said politely.

"Anytime," Song's mother said, smiling.

"It was nice meeting you," Song said hopefully.

"You too," Zuko muttered, looking at his feet.

"There is some hope left, you know," Song said abruptly. "People are saying the Avatar is in the city."

Zuko looked up at her. "I know," he said darkly, turning away.

0000000

"I thought of a question," Katara said suddenly after another lengthy silence. Both of them were becoming edgy, each frequently catching the other staring at them. Katara was coming to realize that something was building up between them. She didn't know what, but it had been since they met, and in this confined space it was really getting to her.

"Shoot," Aang obliged.

"You don't let anyone touch your hat," she pointed out. "But you let me. Why?"

Aang pointed at her necklace, just visible under the collar of her shirt. "We're kindred spirits, you and me," he said quietly. He reached forward as though he was going to touch it, but he stopped and looked down. "We're both kind of lost. A little dark, a little scary, a little… damaged. Things like that connect people in unpredictable ways."

She gazed at him, breath coming with a little more difficulty than usual. Maybe the closet was running out of air. Or maybe… he was doing this to her. Being this close to him for such a long time was making her crazy.

"You know… I don't let anyone touch this necklace," she began quietly, warily. "But I think I can afford you the same luxury you afford me."

She took the hand that was still halfway between them and pulled it to her, not once breaking eye contact with him. He felt the carved charm beneath his fingertips, and only then did he realize that he was drawing closer to her. She pulled his hand nearer, warm palm at the base of her neck. He could feel her pulse beneath his fingers, her breath against his cheek.

"Katara…" he whispered, throwing restraint out the window and twining his fingers with hers. She blushed as he drew nearer and closed her eyes. He was going to kiss her. He was finally going to find out if, after seven years, her lips were still so warm and sweet. She was so close, he could smell her hair, taste her breath. It wasn't a dream this time. She wasn't stopping him. They were going to…

"Aang? Katara? Are you here?"

Aang opened his eyes. Katara's were still closed. She exhaled slowly. Sokka was outside the closet.

"Hang on, I'll get the keys!"

Her hand slowly pulled from his. Aang sighed.

"Too late," he said quietly. She nodded, pulling away from him.

"You in there?" Sokka's voice sounded far away.

Katara got to her feet, backing away from him. "We're here, Sokka," she called tonelessly.

The door finally swung open. Sokka froze in the doorway, startled by the way they were looking at each other.

"Whoa, are you guys okay?" he asked, confused.

Katara looked at her feet. "Yeah, fine," she muttered. "Thanks for coming."

She moved past Sokka, leaving Aang sitting on the floor in the closet. Appa took Katara's place across from him, giving a self-satisfied bark. Aang reached over to scratch him behind the ears.

"What just happened?" Sokka asked, darkly curious.

"Nothing, we've just… been in here for a long time," Aang muttered, getting to his feet and brushing past Sokka.

The boys found Katara outside, leaning against the storefront beside the door, eyes closed. She was taking long, deep breaths. Sokka assumed it was because they were in such a small space for so long. Aang knew better.

"So what happened?" Sokka asked when they were all back out in the open air and starting off toward home. "I thought you were at the distillery, but all of a sudden Appa wouldn't leave me alone and I followed him back here."

"We were just walking around," Aang said quietly when Katara didn't offer any response. "And these Dragons got us and locked us up."

"That's it?" Sokka asked. Neither said anything. "How long were you in there?"

"About three hours," Aang sighed when, once again, Katara was silent.

"What did you do in there?" Sokka asked, sounding more amazed that they had survived the boredom than suspicious.

"Talked," Aang muttered.

Katara wasn't listening. Her mind was running endlessly over what had just happened. They had almost kissed. She was positive. There was no avoiding it. And she was pretty sure she had initiated it. But they were interrupted. If Sokka hadn't showed up at that moment… nothing would have stopped them. He would have kissed her.

Did she want him to kiss her?

Maybe it was just being locked in that closet for three hours. She was getting very uncomfortable in there, very aware of how close they were for so long. He was a boy, she was a girl. It was only natural that she'd start noticing that kind of thing after being in such a small space with him for so long with nothing else to do. Maybe… it was boredom. Maybe she was just bored and curious as to how he'd react to her… letting him kiss her.

Sokka suddenly paused at a street corner occupied by several people. There was a tall man with a guitar, the open case at his feet, a short, heavy man with a set of bongo drums, and a slender woman with a flute. They were playing a song about a tunnel that Katara didn't recognize.

"Hey, Chong, I found them," Sokka said to the man with the guitar. "Thanks for the help."

"No problem, brother," Chong replied, an easy smile on his face. "See you around."

As the three of them walked away, Appa trailing behind, Chong and his fellow musicians started playing a different song.

"Even when you're lost you can't lose the love because it's in your heart…"

"Who are they?" Aang asked, glancing back at them.

Sokka shrugged. "I asked them if they saw you walk past and they said they did," he replied. "Though they did feel the need to tell me I have destination fever." He started waving his hands around, exaggerating Chong's drawling voice. "You gotta focus less on the where, and more on the going."

Aang laughed. Katara smiled a little, still staring at her feet.

When they all got back to the distillery and went to their respective bedrooms, Aang went straight to the window seat. He waited for a few minutes, and sure enough, Katara walked through his line of sight in the direction of the river. She was going to think.

Aang jumped to his feet without thinking and started after her. It occurred to him that she probably wanted some solitary thinking time, considering she'd been locked in a closet with him for three hours. But he needed to think to, and she did say he could go there to think whenever he wanted.

"What're you thinking about?"

Katara jumped, startled. Aang sat down beside her on the riverbank, glancing over at her. She was sitting as she had been for most of their time in the closet: knees drawn up to her chin, fiddling with the hems of her sleeves.

"Oh you know," she murmured into her knees. "This and that."

"So… are we not going to talk about it?" he casually asked at length.

"…I don't really know what to say," she admitted quietly.

He watched her for a while. "Don't hate me," he finally said.

She glanced at him. "Nothing you could do could ever make me hate you," she said without a moment's hesitation.

Aang fell silent, surprised. "Okay then… I'll apologize," he said slowly. She glanced at him again. "We were in there for a long time and… we weren't really thinking straight."

"Right," she said quietly, voice still muffled by her knees. "Besides, nothing even really… happened."

"Right," Aang picked up hastily. "And even if something did, it wouldn't really mean anything."

"Because we were locked in a closet and we weren't thinking straight."

"Right."

"This is weird."

"Yeah…"

"I don't want it to be weird between us," Katara said abruptly, turning and looking at him fully for the first time since they were trapped. "Having you as such a close friend means a lot to me."

"Me too," Aang sighed. "So let's just… forget about it. Move on."

Katara looked at him for a while before nodding slowly. "Okay, sure. Just forget it," she said quietly. She looked at her feet for a moment. "So… are we okay, then?"

"Of course," Aang replied, smiling. Katara smiled back, looking a little resigned. "I'll just… leave you to think." Aang got to his feet and moved back toward the fence, pausing to see if she'd stop him.

"Aang?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for checking on me."

Aang smiled again. "No problem."


	16. Chapter 16

_...Sorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorrysorryyyyy... This took way longer than it probably should have. But I was having some serious difficulty introducing the gaang to... TRUMPET FANFARE... Toph and Azula! Yeah, both in one chapter. It's kind of like RETURN TO OMASHU and THE SWAMP and THE BLIND BANDIT all mushed up into a ball of craziness. I'm trying to deviate from the show more now that the SIEGE OF THE NORTH is really over. I stuck to that one rather carefully because of all the Spirit-ness in it. I want all that to remain as similar to the show as possible, since Spirits don't really translate to the 1920s. But now I'm a madwoman of plot deviation and I'm lovin' every minute of it!_

_Okay, spaz over. Here it be. Azula and cronies don't get a lot of screen time or dialogue or characterization of any kind yet. Mai and Ty Lee aren't even mentioned by name, pahaha... But be patient. I'm warming up to them._

_Oh, and as penance for being so slow, the beginning of the chapter is me punching you in the face with a fist of KATAANG. It's not just penance, actually, I was gonna do it regardless, but tally ho!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar_

* * *

CHAPTER 16

Aang woke up suddenly, feeling as though he was being watched. He sat up and looked around his dark room. Katara was standing in his doorway in that blasted nightgown. He stared.

"Hey," he said at length, blushing. She gazed at him for a few silent moments, leaning against his doorframe. There was something dark in her expression… something haughty and hungry… or maybe that was just the starlight reflected in her eyes.

"Aren't you tempted?" she asked suddenly, voice low and curious.

"…By what?" he asked warily, hoping desperately for a distraction from her long bare legs…

She smiled, looking rather amused, and before he knew it she was sitting on his bed in that nightgown with her hair tumbling around her shoulders and her cheeks a little pink from the nighttime cold. Her hand found the side of his face and she turned him to look at her properly. She tilted her head a little, smiling at him.

"I'm right here," she answered quietly. "Don't you want me?"

He stared at her. This could not be happening. "So, so much," he heard himself say. She smiled again, and all of a sudden she was on top of him, straddling his waist and lowering her lips to his. His hands found her back almost instantly, pulling her closer. It seemed too good to be true…

"Aang, get up, we have a delivery!"

Aang rolled off of his bed with a cry of surprise, smacking his head on the floor. He sat up, rubbing his sore head and muttering to himself. Why did Sokka always have to interrupt the good dreams?

He was in the kitchen a few minutes later, yawning. Katara turned away from what looked like a pot of oatmeal and gave him a scrutinizing look. He stared stonily back. She laughed a little, taking in the bags under his eyes, his unwashed face and bed head, and the fact that he was wearing a wrinkled suit he'd found on the floor of his room. She sighed and approached him, leaning close and straightening his shirt.

"Yeah, Sokka woke me up too," she said quietly, a smile in her voice.

"You seem significantly better off," he pointed out moodily. She laughed again, a light, musical sound to Aang's tired ears.

She was behind him now, pulling his suspenders up over his shoulders. "I guess I'm a morning person," she said thoughtfully. "Where's your other shoe?"

Aang held up the offending piece of clothing, dangling from his left hand. His jacket and hat were clutched in his right. She moved back in front of him, straightening his tie and fussing with his collar for a moment. She placed a hand on each of his shoulders, facing him resolutely.

"Wake up, Sparky," she said firmly, giving him a shake.

Aang yawned. "I appreciate the attempt, but I'm still stuck in good dream central," he sighed, leaning heavily against the door frame.

"Sokka has an uncanny ability to interrupt the best of dreams," she confirmed for him. He sighed again.

"Don't have to tell me twice, Dollface," he muttered, allowing her to push him over to the table. He tossed his jacket over the back of his chair and sat down heavily, reaching down to put on his other shoe. When he emerged from beneath the table, a bowl of steaming oatmeal sat in front of him.

"Have I ever told you how wonderful you are?" Aang asked, smiling for the first time this morning.

"Are you talking to me or the oatmeal?" Katara asked him in reply, smirking as she sat down across from him.

"Stupid question," Aang snorted. "I'm talking to the oatmeal."

"Why Sparky, you'd take a bowl of oatmeal over me?" she asked in mock heartbreak, theatrically pushing her own bowl away from her. Aang laughed.

"I don't think eating you will give me nearly as much iron," he pointed out.

"Whoever said anything about eating me?" Katara asked, smirking. Aang stared at her. She had her elbows on the table, leaning her chin on her interlaced fingers and giving him an appraising stare. Sokka's terrible timing, for once, came in handy when Aang felt the heat rushing to his face just as Sokka came barging into the kitchen.

"Oatmeal, great," he sighed, serving himself a bowl.

"Sokka doesn't appreciate the complexities of my oatmeal," Katara said frankly.

"I don't imagine he could," Aang replied loftily, making Katara laugh. Sokka just rolled his eyes.

"So where's this delivery?" Katara asked at length.

"It's for the Bei Fongs," Sokka said, shrugging.

Katara wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Oh, good," she sighed.

"Who are the Bei Fongs?" Aang asked, his mouth full of oatmeal.

"You've never heard of them?" Katara asked in surprise. "Um… well you've heard of Gaolin playing cards, right?"

"Of course, they're some of the best playing cards you can buy," Aang replied, reaching for his hat. He pulled out the old playing card and flipped it over, revealing the gilded image of a flying boar on the back. "Gyatso's first game was played with Gaolins."

Katara smiled. "Lao Bei Fong is the heir to the Gaolin company fortune," she explained carelessly. "His grandfather started it, I think. But his father is still in charge, so he lives here with his wife in that big mansion on the east side while he waits for his dad to kick the bucket."

"Every year or so, the jackass buys us out of all of our aged stuff, the expensive alcohol, you know?" Sokka continued as he finished off his bowl. "And I mean all of it. So we're back to the white lightning for at least two months after."

"Well that's rude," Aang remarked.

"Yep," Sokka sighed, getting to his feet and stretching. "Well, let's move it."

It wasn't long before Sokka's truck was rolling out of the distillery, the back so full of crates and barrels that Aang and Katara were sharing a seat again and Appa had to stay behind. The morning was sunny and quiet. They arrived at the entrance to the Bei Fong estate without incident. There was a single burly earthbender guarding the gate. Sokka leaned out the window to speak to him.

"We're Hakoda's Kids," he said simply. The earthbender opened the gate, and the truck rumbled through, up the long drive to the Bei Fong manor. The three of them never actually saw or spoke to Lao or his wife. They brought all the booze in through the servants' entrance and were paid by the butler, then promptly asked to leave.

"Nice people," Aang remarked as they got back in the truck.

"That's pretty much how it always is," Sokka sighed. As they passed back through the gate, they noticed the guard was talking to someone. They all fell silent as they drove past.

"Did you hear that?" Sokka said excitedly when they got back on the street. "Earth Rumble Twenty-Six is tonight!"

Katara rolled her eyes. "Oh great," she sighed. "Just what you need. More testosterone."

"I've never been to Earth Rumble," Aang admitted. "I really wanted to go when I was younger, but Gyatso never let me."

"Well, maybe we should go," Katara said thoughtfully.

Sokka stared at her. "You hate Earth Rumble," he pointed out.

"I know, but Aang could probably learn some earthbending," she said, shrugging.

"Oh yeah," Aang muttered. "I'm an earthbender…"

"I'll take it," Sokka said, grinning.

0000000

Hours later, long after the sun had set, Katara was regretting her decision.

Sokka, as he always did when Earth Rumble came around, lost it completely. He was shouting and booing and cheering and catcalling with the rest of the crowd. Katara sat beside him, elbow on her knee and chin on her hand.

Aang was watching with more curiosity and excitement than anything. Every so often he would place a hand on Katara's back and point, calling "Did you see that? I wanna learn to do that!" over the roar of the crowd. Katara would just roll her eyes, smiling a little in amusement.

"The Boulder is cleaning up!" Sokka shouted wildly as one of the contestants, a mountain of a man calling himself The Boulder, handled his fourth opponent with ease. The rules were simple. Use earthbending to knock the other guy out of the ring. In Katara's opinion, it was crude and barbaric, nothing like the artistry of waterbending. But she appreciated the strength and focus required of earthbending, so she kept her opinions to herself.

In the pause between matches, Aang looked around at the crowd. There wasn't a single Dragon among them.

"So these things are kept secret from the Dragons now, huh?" he asked thoughtfully.

"When they call them underground earthbending tournaments, they don't just mean literally underground," Katara replied with a smile. They were, indeed, under the streets of the city in one of the larger of the many natural caves in the area.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, your reigning champion!" the host of the tournament, Xin Fu, shouted into the microphone. The crowd began to roar. "The Blind Bandit!"

Into the ring walked a young woman, not a day older than Aang and nearly a head shorter than Katara. The girl was barefoot, like the rest of the earthbenders in the tournament. She was wearing green suit pants rolled up to her knees and a plain white shirt rolled up to her elbows. Her hair was pulled back into a messy sort of ponytail, but it was short enough to look more like Sokka's wolf tail. Her long bangs fell over her eyes, which appeared to be blank.

"Do you think she's actually blind?" Katara asked quietly, all three of them watching her with varying amounts of curiosity. She smirked, holding the champion's belt over her head.

"Bushwa," Sokka dismissed. "It's just part of her character."

"No… I think she really is," Aang said thoughtfully, eyes glued to her. She seemed far too slight to be an earthbender, let alone a champion. But Aang looked a little closer and saw the ropy muscles on her thin arms and legs. She, like Katara, was more dangerous than she seemed.

"The Boulder feels conflicted about fighting a young, blind girl," the Boulder announced. Katara rolled her eyes again.

The girl laughed. "Sounds to me like you're scared, Boulder," she shouted.

The Boulder frowned. "The Boulder is over his conflicted feelings," he decided.

"Bring it on, Ethel," she called back, laughing again.

"It's on!" the Boulder shouted.

The arena fell silent. The two earthbenders stood facing each other. The Boulder moved. The Blind Bandit waited. And suddenly, the Boulder was thrown out of the ring.

"What happened?" Sokka asked, shocked.

"She waited… and listened," Aang said thoughtfully. "I bet she'd be a great earthbending teacher."

Xin Fu took the center of the ring again. "And the winner is-"

"By order of Boss Ozai," a voice rang out over his. "This illegal tournament is over."

Confused whispering broke out all over the arena. A young woman, probably around Sokka's age, strolled into the center of the ring. Two other girls walked behind her, looking rather bored. One of them was dressed primarily in black, the other was undeniably a flapper. The girl in the lead was wearing a red suit.

"And who are you to interrupt my tournament?" Xin Fu asked coldly.

"I am Azula, daughter of Boss Ozai and soon-to-be mayor of this pathetic city," she said carelessly, scrutinizing her pointed nails. "Now you are all to disperse at once."

"Hey, what about my winnings?" the Bandit demanded, pointing a threatening finger at Azula.

"I'll be taking those," Azula replied belittlingly.

"Wrong answer."

The Bandit stomped a foot to the ground and Azula's cronies went flying.

The flapper landed safely at the edge of the ring. The other girl soared out in a nearly identical path to the Boulder, probably landing on top of him.

"Azula?" Sokka uttered in complete surprise. "That's Zuko's sister?"

"We've got to help her," Aang said as though he hadn't heard Sokka. He jumped to his feet, but someone's hand was on his wrist.

"Aang, wait!" Katara hissed, holding him back. "Have you ever heard anything about Azula?"

"Not really…"

"She's ruthless," Katara said flatly, glancing out at the ring where Xin Fu and the Bandit were in an all-out assault against Azula and the flapper. "She has no sense of mercy or… well, it's debatable whether or not she's actually human."

"That girl is a great earthbender, she could help me," Aang replied urgently. "But we have to help her first."

"Katara's right," Sokka said abruptly. "We should nose out if we don't want to get killed.

Katara glanced between Aang and the ring. She sighed. "Fine, let's go help her."

"What?" Sokka exclaimed. "I was agreeing with you!"

"Sokka, let's move!" Aang called over his shoulder as the two of them raced toward the ring. Sokka sighed and pulled out his gun.

Upon reaching the ring, Aang, Katara, and Sokka quickly realized they weren't the only ones joining the fray. A great deal of the crowd, primarily earthbenders, and a horde of Dragons Azula brought along were duking it out all over the arena.

"Do you see her anywhere?" Katara shouted over the noise.

"I'll check," Aang replied, and he was about to jump into the air, but both Sokka and Katara grabbed him by an elbow.

"Probably not the best company in which to reveal the fact that you're the Avatar," Sokka pointed out through gritted teeth.

"Oh… right," Aang sighed, annoyed.

"They're probably in the middle somewhere," Katara suggested, ducking when a fireball missed its target and went soaring over her head. "We should find her fast."

"Agreed," Aang grinned and grabbed her hand, weaving his way into the crowd. Sokka grumbled and stomped after them.

The close-quarters fighting on all sides was something Katara and Sokka were used to. Small-scale fighting in alleys happened more often than sieges like the Northern Distillery, and Hakoda's Kids were seasoned veterans. So they didn't find it difficult to make it through the throng. Aang, on the other hand, preferred wide spaces and ended up squashed between two firebenders. Before they had taken notice of him, however, someone grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him free.

"What the heck is wrong with you?"

Aang looked at his rescuer in surprise. It was none other than the Blind Bandit herself.

"For someone so light on their feet, you sure got into that one easily, Twinkle Toes," she grumbled, shoving him out of her way and punching a nearby Dragon in the ribs.

"I was looking for you!" Aang exclaimed when he regained his bearings, looking around quickly and trying to spot Katara and Sokka in the crowd.

"Were you," the girl replied disinterestedly. A few more people went soaring out of the ring. Xin Fu and Azula were close by, though Aang couldn't see them.

"I need an earthbending teacher, and you're the best earthbender I've ever seen," he continued hopefully, still looking for Hakoda's Kids.

"I would imagine I am," she replied. "But I don't really care."

"But I need to learn to earthbend, I'm the Avatar."

"I've got my own problems, pal," the Bandit pointed out.

"Is there any way I can change your mind?" Aang finally asked out of desperation.

The Blind Bandit turned and looked at him. At least, she appeared to be looking at him.

"Get my winnings back from that Dragon princess over there, and we'll talk," she said at length.

"Done," Aang replied instantly, vanishing into the crowd. When he managed to find Azula in the crowd, he was surprised to find Sokka and Katara already engaged in a fight with her. Apparently she recognized Hakoda's Kids and jumped at the chance to get rid of them. Katara and Xin Fu were both fighting Azula, while Sokka was stuck fighting the flapper, and he was none too happy about it.

"You're kinda cute," Aang heard the flapper say as she dodged behind Sokka and aimed a punch at the back of his head.

"Um… am I the only one who noticed we're in a fight, here?" Sokka demanded, whipping around and aiming his gun at her while indignantly rubbing the back of his head.

Aang slipped behind the two of them, making his way carefully toward Azula. He saw that Katara was having trouble waterbending, leaving most of the work to Xin Fu. He snuck up behind her and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her from the fight.

"Aang, there you are!" she said breathlessly, rubbing her shoulder.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "You looked like you were having trouble waterbending."

"That flapper over there," she muttered angrily. "She hit me in the arm and… I dunno… she took away my bending somehow."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm alright… where did you go?"

"I found the Bandit," Aang replied, grabbing her by the arm again and pulling her out of the way of a bright blue fireball that had missed Xin Fu. "She said she might teach me if I got her winnings back from Azula."

Katara nodded, pointing. "That bag hanging off the back of her belt," she said simply. Aang glanced over. Sure enough, a small cloth bag was tied to Azula's belt. "I'll distract her."

Aang nodded and Katara regained her place beside Xin Fu, keeping Azula's eyes on her. Aang lost himself in the crowd, making his way behind her. He reached out, tongue between his teeth, and his hand had closed around the bag when a bullet whizzed over his head.

The girl dressed in black had made it back up onto the ring. Aang gulped. He heard Katara shout to keep Azula's attention on her. The girl was taking aim at Aang again with a pair of matching handguns. He yanked the bag off Azula's belt and she whipped around in surprise. Aang suddenly felt as though this could be the last moment of his life. He glanced over at Katara. She looked prepared to tackle Azula if she had to, but the chance never arose. Azula and both of her cronies were tossed into the air when the Blind Bandit came skidding into view, pounding her fists to the ground. She scowled at Aang.

"Watch your back, Twinkle Toes," she snapped. Aang silently handed her the bag. She snatched it from him and sighed. "Okay, we'll talk. Come on."

With that, she strode right through the battling crowd and leapt off the edge of the ring, disappearing from sight. Aang and Katara ran after her, grabbing Sokka on their way. Between the ring and the stands, both raised on platforms of stone, was a narrow walkway leading to a stairway up and out of the caves. The three of them followed the Blind Bandit up these stairs and out into the predawn air. They weren't the only ones fleeing the scene, escaping out of the secret entrance beneath a sewer grate.

"So you need an earthbending teacher," the Bandit said calmly, strolling away from the street corner where several police cars were now accumulating. Aang, Katara, and Sokka followed her just as calmly. She weighed the bag in her hand. "Well, you did what I asked, and that shows some guts. That Azula girl is crazy."

"No arguments here," Katara muttered. The Bandit stopped in the middle of a darkened sidewalk.

"So who are you people anyway?" she asked bluntly.

"I'm Aang," Aang said with a smile.

"I'm Katara, and this is my brother Sokka," Katara added. "We're Hakoda's Kids."

"Ah, I've heard of you guys," the Bandit said lightly. "I'm Toph."

"So you'll really teach me?" Aang asked quietly, smiling.

Toph shrugged. "Sure, why not," she said easily.

"Great! Where do you live?" Aang exclaimed, excited.

"Why do you ask?" Toph snapped.

The three of them exchanged a mystified glance.

"Um… so I can come to learn from you?" Aang said slowly.

"Um… no," Toph said abruptly. "That's not going to work for me. Where do you live?"

"The Southern Distillery," Aang replied. He glanced at Katara. "You think it would be alright if I learned to earthbend there?"

"We'll have to ask Dad," Katara said frankly.

"Okay… can I meet you at Zero's tomorrow?" Aang suggested. "Er… wait, it's already tomorrow. This afternoon, then?"

"You mean that diner on the south side?" Toph asked. They nodded. "Um… sure. I'll be there."

The three of them parted ways from the Blind Bandit.

"Wait… she asked a question, we all nodded but didn't say anything," Sokka said suddenly. "How could she tell if she's blind?"

"I don't know," Aang replied shortly, realizing the same thing. "Maybe she's not totally blind?"

"We'll ask her tomorrow, I'm beat," Katara waved the matter off, yawning. "Time for a good morning's sleep."

"Can you please not wake me up?" Aang asked Sokka as the three of them started for home. "I'd like to finish at least one good dream."


	17. Chapter 17

_Sorry, again, this took so long. You wouldn't even believe how busy I've been lately. This huge thing I've been working on for nine months just happened (no I didn't have a baby so don't ask, haha) and I've been doing a lot of super fun scholarships (SARCASM) so yeah. But I got it done. Yay. More Kataangness for your soul._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar_

* * *

CHAPTER 17

Katara lied awake that morning for a long time. This girl… Toph… made her uneasy. Although it wasn't the kind of uneasy she felt around people who were untrustworthy. It was a sort of uneasy she had never experienced and couldn't quite figure out.

Aang had taken to her far too quickly.

The young waterbender abruptly sat up in her bed. Was that what was making her nervous? The way Aang was acting toward her?

They hadn't even met the girl… just saw her defeat the Boulder, and Aang decided that he had to get closer to her. Katara frowned. Maybe he thought she was prettier.

Katara groaned and buried her face in her hands. She was not jealous of this girl… they had talked to her for ten minutes, if that. She was not… falling in love… with Aang.

She abruptly kicked her legs over the side of her bed, bare feet on the cold wood floor. She crept from her room, shivering in her nightgown as she crossed the hall. Aang's door was open, as always, just a crack. She pushed it open enough for her to slip in and knelt beside his bed. She looked at him carefully, taking in every detail of his sleeping form. They way his chest moved as he breathed, the way the covers were tangled around his legs from his ceaseless tossing and turning, the way his hair stuck out from contact with the pillows, the way his lips were parted slightly for breath…

She sat back on her heels, frowning. Those lips of his had somehow become the center of her attention. Ever since their time in that stupid closet. She tilted her head a little when his brow furrowed and he took a deep breath through his nose. He was having a bad dream.

Katara sighed and reached toward him, laying a hand lightly on his cheek. His expression visibly relaxed.

"Oh, Sparky," she whispered. "You're doing a number on me." He sighed heavily, leaning up into her touch just a little. "Don't worry, I've got your back."

"Baby, you've got more than that."

Katara smiled, somehow not surprised that he was suddenly awake. She made to remove her hand, but he reached up and held it in place.

"What are you doing here, Dollface?" he asked quietly, yawning. "Can't sleep?"

She shook her head. "I dunno… my room just felt really empty for some reason," she sighed. She cast a measuring glance in his direction. "Would you mind if I stayed here for the night?"

Aang's eyes widened in surprise and he sat up, now fully awake. "Um… your brother…" he began, all too aware of the fact that Sokka slept with his gun beneath his bed.

"I'll leave before he wakes up," she tried calmly. "Please?"

Aang thought for a while before nodding slowly. "Yeah, sure, okay," he yawned again. "Here, you take the bed, I'll sleep in the window seat." He moved to get out of his bed, but Katara stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"I'm not kicking you out of your own bed, Sparky," she said with a smile.

"Well I'm not letting you sleep anywhere else," Aang replied defensively. "I mean… that thing can hardly keep you warm…"

She smirked at him, noticing how his gaze paused on her nightgown and his eyes became rather unfocused. He blushed and snapped his eyes back up to her face.

"Alright, I'll sleep with you then," she shrugged.

Aang's mouth opened and closed several times as he tried to speak, but he seemed beyond words. She slipped under the covers beside him before another word was spoken, turning away from him and settling her head on one of his pillows. She felt a little guilty for doing this to him, and a little ridiculous for doing it at all. But she felt very possessive of him for some reason. She needed to be near him, just for now.

He finally settled beside her, facing away from her.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"You're welcome," he murmured back.

"Good night."

"Can you really say good night if it's already the morning?"

"…Good night, Aang."

Despite his closeness, she still couldn't stop thinking. Or maybe it was because he was so close. Katara and Aang… She could see her and Aang becoming something. It wasn't such a hard thought to swallow. They already spent enough time together to be a couple in the romantic sense. They would just have to start kissing. She smiled a little. That wouldn't be so bad.

Any other boy, she would have turned around and kissed him on the spot. But Aang… she couldn't just have a sudden, casual relationship with him. Not like Jet. She was too far in already, she cared for him far too much. A relationship with him would be the long-term kind of thing, the love kind of thing, the marriage and kids and growing old together kind of thing. Though she supposed Aang would be a wonderful husband… and father… and an attractive old man.

But there was something about him… something big and frightening that stemmed, she knew, from the Avatar Spirit. It wasn't fair to use that against him, but she couldn't put the image of him staring at her with those blank white eyes at the Northern Distillery out of her mind.

And then there was the matter of her father and brother. If something happened… if it didn't work out between them… Aang would have nowhere to go but back to the empty Ace of Spades.

She knew he felt something for her. But she couldn't tell if it was a crush or just a physical attraction, or if it was something more, something confusing like what she felt for him.

They would be good together. They would protect each other and care for each other… they would be perfect together. Too perfect. Too much.

She sighed. For now, it would be enough to just sleep beside him, secure in the knowledge that this Toph girl could never make him as nervous as she was making him now.

"Calm down, Sparky," Katara sighed. "I can feel your heartbeat from here."

"Sorry, it's just…" Aang began. He stopped, however, and she could practically feel him smiling. "I can feel yours too, Dollface."

Katara blushed and moved her back away from his. He laughed nervously.

"This was your idea, you know," he pointed out quietly.

Katara scowled and turned around, and he did the same, bringing them nearly nose to nose. She poked him firmly in the chest with her index finger.

"Well you accepted, pal," she added. They scowled at each other for another moment before they both burst out laughing. Katara leaned her head on his chest as she worked out her giggles.

"We make quite a pair, don't we?" Aang laughed.

"Yeah… I guess we do…" Katara murmured, mind jumping immediately to her previous train of thought. Her train of thought abruptly froze, however, when Aang leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

"Good night, Katara," he whispered, turning back to his side of the bed. Katara eventually followed suit, still blushing. She fell asleep much faster than she thought she would.

0000000

"Young man, I suggest you take your hands off my daughter."

Katara and Aang woke up simultaneously. Apparently, they had moved during the night. Or morning, as it now appeared to be early afternoon. Katara turned bright red in panic. Aang's arms were wrapped around her abdomen, pulling her back flush against his chest. She sat bolt upright and Aang fell off the bed. Katara turned to find her father standing in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest. Aang sat up on the floor, eyes wide and a blush creeping up to his ears.

"Dad I can explain," Katara said in a rush, scrambling out of Aang's bed and placing herself firmly between him and her father.

"I'm waiting," Hakoda said slowly, eyes never leaving Aang.

Katara held up her hands in a placating gesture. "Nothing happened," she said hastily. "I just couldn't sleep after Earth Rumble so I came to talk to Aang, and we ended up falling asleep." He didn't move. "I swear."

"Nothing happened," Hakoda repeated, his voice a chilling deadpan. Katara nodded vigorously. "Define nothing."

"Nothing," Katara sighed, growing a little desperate. "We talked, we fell asleep, that's all."

Hakoda leaned to his left so he could see Aang better. "You'll back this up?" he asked darkly.

"Yes sir," Aang said immediately, nodding so hard he hurt his neck. "I would never… I mean… I have nothing but respect for your daughter, I swear."

Hakoda sighed. "Alright, I believe you," he said at length. Katara let out a sigh of relief and Aang fell backwards on the floor. Katara glanced back in surprise, not sure whether or not he was conscious. "But you better be out of here before Sokka wakes up." Katara nodded. "And you'd probably be better off if you don't let me catch you like this again. I've got work to do, so have a nice day in which more of this nothing happens."

He left. Katara turned and looked back at Aang. He was indeed conscious, though he appeared to be on the edge of fainting.

"You alright, Sparky?" she asked quietly. He groaned in response. She sighed and crouched beside him. "I'm sorry." She reached up and brushed some of his hair from his forehead so she could see him properly. He opened his eyes and frowned at her. "I didn't mean to get you in trouble… especially with my dad."

He mumbled incoherently in response. "Aw Sparky, I'm so sorry," she sighed. She offered him a hand, which he took. She pulled him to his feet.

"At least it wasn't Sokka," he finally said.

"That's the spirit," she laughed lightly. He smiled at her and started pulling the covers back onto his bed. "I'll go make breakfast." She slipped out of his room and back to her own, glancing at Sokka's closed door. They had been lucky, she supposed as she got dressed. If it had been Sokka… she grimaced at the thought. Aang certainly wouldn't be able to have any children in the future.

0000000

"So you'll eat the oatmeal here, but you complain about mine?"

Sokka scowled at Katara over his bowl of diner oatmeal. "Obviously," he stated.

Katara rolled her eyes. The three of them had been eating lunch for ten minutes or so at Zero's Diner, waiting for the Blind Bandit to show up. Sokka, luckily, didn't notice that Katara and Aang would blush every time their eyes met directly.

"Oh, she's here," Katara said suddenly, eyes on the door through which Toph was walking. "At least… I think that's her…" She looked nothing like she had the night before. Where she had been wearing gangster clothing and a tight ponytail, she now looked entirely too prim and proper in a skirt and a bob. She was carrying a pair of shoes and balled up socks on her hand, leaving her familiarly dirty feet bare.

She sat down beside Sokka without a word and grabbed his oatmeal from him. "Great, lunch, thanks," she said, snatching the spoon out of his hand.

"Hey!" Sokka exclaimed indignantly.

Aang and Katara stifled their laughter behind their hands.

"Toph?" Aang asked at length.

"Yep?" she answered through a mouthful of oatmeal.

"Oh, so that is you," Katara said, smiling a little.

"Make fun of my clothes and you're dead, Sugar Queen," Toph replied, pointing her spoon threateningly at the waterbender. "I didn't have time to change before I snuck out."

"Snuck out?" Aang repeated. "Your parents don't know you're here?"

"My parents don't know I'm an earthbender," she snorted, returning her attention to the oatmeal. "They're convinced I'm just a frail little blind girl in need of protection. They don't even tell people I exist."

"Well that's rude," Katara remarked.

"Tell me about it," Toph waved the matter off. "Ah well, that's what you get for being born blind into the Bei Fong family."

The three of them stared. Toph didn't notice for a while. She glanced around in their general directions.

"What?"

"You're a Bei Fong?" Sokka asked, mouth hanging open.

"What's it to you?"

"We just delivered to your house yesterday," Katara added at length.

"Oh yeah, I saw you guys," Toph replied nonchalantly, burping when she finished off Sokka's lunch. They all stared at her again.

"Wait a minute," Sokka said suddenly. "You couldn't have seen us. You're blind."

Toph leaned back in the booth and kicked her feet up on the table, crossing her ankles in recumbence and wiggling her toes. She wore a pair of leather bands on her ankles.

"I see with my feet," she said simply. "That's why I go barefoot."

"Clearly," Katara muttered, wrinkling her nose at the sight of the blackened bottoms of Toph's feet. Aang laughed a little. Toph rolled her pale eyes.

"Are they always like this?" she asked.

"Pretty much," Sokka said, shrugging. "So you were saying?"

"Right," Toph folded her hands behind her head before continuing. "Whenever something moves, it makes vibrations in the air and the ground. I can feel them with my feet, and I can hear really well. That's why I'm the world's greatest earthbender."

"Really?" Aang asked, excited.

Sokka rolled his eyes. "Psh, I doubt it," he snorted. "You're, what, thirteen?"

"Fifteen, thank you," Toph replied, punching Sokka solidly in the shoulder with more force than she looked to possess and sending Sokka into the wall. "What are you then, Grandpa? Ninety-six?"

"Eighteen," he muttered mutinously, rubbing his arm.

"So you need a teacher, eh?" Toph asked Aang, ignoring Sokka. He nodded. She narrowed her eyes at him, placing her feet back on the floor. "You don't seem to have the build of an earthbender, Twinkle Toes."

"Well technically, I'm not an earthbender," Aang said slowly, glancing away.

Toph frowned at him. "Explain," she demanded simply.

Aang and Katara shared a glance. "Well… I'm a master airbender," he began delicately. "And Katara's teaching me to waterbend… she's a master too."

Toph was silent for a while. She rested her elbows on the table and pressed her fingertips together, blank eyes pointed at him over her steepled fingers. "So I'm supposed to teach the Avatar to earthbend," she said slowly.

Aang, Katara, and Sokka glanced at each other, nodding.

"Yes, yeah that's basically the idea," Aang said, shrugging.

"What's in it for me?" she asked instantly.

"What do you want?" Aang asked tentatively.

Toph thought for a moment. "Money I've got," she began slowly. "And my parents have plenty of booze lying around." She fell silent again. "What I really want… is not to go back home."

The three of them shared a startled glance.

"What do you mean?" Katara asked quietly.

"My parents pretend I don't exist," Toph said firmly. "They don't understand me at all, and I'm sick of it. I want to be free, like you guys. I want to stay with you at the Distillery."

Aang looked at Sokka. "Sokka… please?" he said simply.

Sokka sighed and crossed his arms. "It's not up to me, it's up to Dad," he began. He glanced at Toph. "But there are some things we should go over first."

Toph smiled a little, surprising them all. "Shoot."

"You can't stay for free," he began slowly. "So you'll have to help us with deliveries as well as teaching Aang."

Toph shrugged. "Better than you guys leaving me there all the time," she reasoned.

"And you need to let your parents know somehow that we haven't kidnapped you," he continued seriously. "We can't have the police sniffing around with the city on edge like this."

"I'll send them a letter or something," she shrugged again.

"You and Katara might have to share a room…"

"I don't like being indoors anyway," Toph cut him off. "I'll sleep outside."

"Really?"

"No problem."

Sokka raised his eyebrows skeptically. "You're surprisingly low maintenance for a Bei Fong," he stated.

"Does anything else about me seem like a Bei Fong?"

"I suppose not."

"Then it's settled," she said, getting to her feet. "Let's go meet your dad."

The three of them followed her out, a little mystified.

0000000

"I wouldn't go in there if I were you."

Ty Lee turned in surprise, only to see Mai sitting on the stoop leading to the door of Azula's apartment. Ty Lee, the flapper in her usual pink, turned and sat down next to Mai, who was carelessly inspecting her nails.

"Why not?" Ty Lee asked, sitting back on her hands and enjoying the afternoon sunlight.

Mai glanced at her. "She's still mad about last night," she said, sounding bored as always. "Hakoda's Kids were there and she didn't get either of them. She'll be mad about that for at least a week."

"Not to mention that boy that took the Bandit's winnings," Ty Lee sighed. "It's a wonder she hasn't burned the place down yet. What's she doing in there?"

"She's on the phone with Daddy," Mai said darkly.

Ty Lee shivered a little. "It creeps me out when you call him that," she admitted.

"Well, Boss Ozai's a creepy guy," Mai answered dully, brushing some dust from her spotless black pants.

"Are you still sore about him kicking Zuko out?" Ty Lee asked with a knowing grin.

Mai didn't respond. Ty Lee sighed, and the two of them lapsed into an uneasy silence.


	18. Chapter 18

_Sorry again... eh... AP tests happening and at work like all the time. No time for putting words into sentence doing. But done. Saw FIREBENDING MASTERS and BOILING ROCK. ...Freaking awesome, but no Kataang. Iron Man, also awesome, for the record. TO CHAPTER._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar_

* * *

CHAPTER 18

"Another one? Really? It was a stretch for me to let Aang stay here."

"But Dad, she's helping Aang," Katara argued. "And that's helping us."

"How?" Hakoda replied, eyeing Toph for a moment before turning and giving Aang a hard look, no doubt for their rather embarrassing encounter that morning. Aang blushed and turned his attention to his shoes.

"If Aang learns to earthbend, he gets stronger as the Avatar," Sokka said, shrugging. "It'll be easier to take out Boss Ozai if we've got a stronger Avatar on our side."

"You're taking their side on this?" Hakoda asked in surprise. "You don't trust your own sister."

"That's not entirely true…" Sokka said delicately, glancing innocently at the ceiling. Katara scowled at him. He shrugged. "I never said I trusted her. I just saw her thrash the Boulder, and if she can teach Aang to earthbend like that, we'll all be better off."

"Beating the Boulder isn't all that hard," Toph said with a smug grin.

"Probably not the best time to point that out," Katara informed her out of the corner of her mouth.

"Oh… right…"

Hakoda sighed. "So I'll have to be feeding four teenagers now?"

"It's not like we don't have money," Katara snorted.

"And food is essential," Sokka said hastily.

Hakoda sighed again. "Fine," he said carelessly, waving a hand in dismissal. "Just don't get into any trouble. If you do, you're out."

Toph saluted. "No problem, Big Cheese."

Hakoda just waved again. "Beat it, all of you."

The four of them left the bar, emerging into the sunset. Toph turned to them. "Now what?"

Aang thought for a moment. "Well… we hardly know each other," he said with a shrug. "Do you want to ask us anything?"

"Yeah," Toph said almost immediately. "Are you banging Sugar Queen over here or what?"

Three mouths dropped open.

"Wha… buh…" Aang stammered, Katara and Sokka still silent in shock.

"What? She's a choice bit of calico, it wouldn't surprise me if you were," she shrugged. "But judging by your reactions, I'd say you're just friends." She rolled her white eyes, smirking. "Thick as thieves, sure. See how long that lasts."

"Buh…" Katara managed after several seconds.

"So where does someone go to get some shut-eye around here?" Toph asked abruptly, tapping a foot on the ground. She turned to Sokka and grabbed his arm. "Lead the way."

Without a word, Sokka led her to the house. Aang and Katara stared after them.

"…Did that just happen?" Aang asked at length.

"I'm… I'm not sure…" Katara replied. They glanced at each other after several moments and quickly looked away.

0000000

Aang and Katara sat at the breakfast table, both rather tired. Sokka's room shared a wall with Katara's, and she'd heard him snoring all night. Toph had made a rock tent right outside Aang's window, and he'd been kept up by her snoring. So the two of them were sitting silently across from each other, staring disinterestedly at their bowls of cold cereal. Katara was too tired to make a real breakfast.

"Wake up," Katara said grumpily, yawning.

"You wake up," Aang replied with a scowl.

"You know when Toph wakes up, you're going to start training," she pointed out. "You need to be awake more than me."

She looked up at him and smiled a little. He didn't take well to being tired. Katara had gotten used to it, what with the deliveries in the early morning and late into the night.

He let out an indistinct grumble and his head dropped onto the table, narrowly missing his cereal bowl.

She laughed lightly and reached forward, running a hand idly through his hair. He stiffened in surprise, but otherwise made no indication that he'd noticed.

"…Hands…" he muttered.

"What?" she asked, yawning again.

"I like your hands," he grumbled into the table. "Warm… soft hands…"

She blushed a little. "You're tired," she sighed.

"So are you."

Katara smiled. She liked spending time with him like this. Not really talking about anything, neither of them in a very good mood. It was the simple things that drew her to Aang so strongly.

"Bring on the grub!"

Aang turned his head and Katara looked over as Toph burst into the kitchen. She was back in a similar outfit to the one they had first seen her in, just a shirt and pants, both rolled up, with her hair tied back. But now they were a little too big for her. She'd borrowed something of Katara's that was too small for her, but she was still a great deal taller than Toph.

"Cereal," Katara sighed, gesturing toward the counter.

"Well gee, you guys sure know how to treat a guest," Toph snorted, helping herself to the cereal.

"Katara usually makes amazing breakfasts," Aang muttered into the table. "But Sokka kept her up all night with his snoring."

"Snoozles is a snorer, huh?" Toph commented with a grin. "Doesn't surprise me."

"It wouldn't," Aang growled.

"Tsk, I hope you're awake within the next ten minutes, because that's when your earthbending training starts," Toph replied with a shrug.

Katara cast a wary glance in Toph's direction. "Um… maybe you could give him a little more time to wake up," she suggested quietly.

Toph kicked her feet up on the table and crossed her arms nonchalantly. "I don't tell you how to teach, Sweetness," she pointed out with another shrug.

"I'm not telling you how to teach," Katara replied with a frown, an edge creeping into her voice. "I'm just suggesting you cut him some slack, considering you're the reason he didn't get any sleep."

"Aw, were you dreaming about me, Airhead?" Toph asked, making kissy faces at Aang, who just scowled.

"I wish," he muttered mutinously. "At least then I would have been asleep."

"Guess who else is a snorer," Katara finished for him, a touch of sting in her voice.

Toph waved the matter aside. "Wear earplugs, geez," she snorted. She got to her feet and stretched. "Meet me outside in five, Twinkles."

Aang grumbled into the table again. Katara scowled.

0000000

Katara grimaced when she heard yet another crash outside the house. Toph had been working Aang for two hours. He didn't seem to like earthbending at all and he appeared to have no skill for it whatsoever. Toph, in turn, attempted to beat the results out of him. Katara frequently heard shouts of "Keep your knees high, Twinkle Toes!" or "Come on, take this boulder like a man!" from outside her window, accompanied by earth-rumbling crashes and shouts of either surprise or pain from Aang.

Katara, needless to say, couldn't just sit by while Aang was being thrown around like a rag doll and had tried to intervene, informing Toph that Aang responded to positive reinforcement. Toph ignored her completely.

So Katara sat in Aang's window seat with her knees drawn up to her chin and her eyes closed, listening just in case any of Aang's shouts were signifying life-threatening injury. But she kept her eyes closed. Watching Aang getting hurt was worse than listening.

"Geez, Airhead, you're an earthbender now! You hear me? You're not an airbender anymore!"

Moments later, Katara was marching out of the house. Aang was lying in a heap of rocks, scowling in Toph's direction. He was barefoot and shirtless, pants rolled up to his knees, and a blindfold was hanging around his neck. Katara carefully pulled him to his feet.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Toph demanded.

"It's time for his waterbending lesson," she replied stiffly. Aang looked at her in surprise. They didn't have scheduled times for waterbending lessons, but he wasn't about to tell Toph that.

She sighed. "Fine. We'll pick up on this tomorrow," she said, waving the two of them off.

Katara gently took his arm and helped him slowly down to the river. He sank immediately into the shallows, taking deep breaths of the cool river air.

"Thanks," he sighed, apparently heedless to the layer of dirt and sweat coating his entire body. Katara sat beside him in the water.

"You're welcome," she said quietly. "That sounded rough."

Aang laughed tiredly. "Sounded?"

She smiled a little. "Take as long as you need to catch your breath, okay?"

He reached blindly for her hand. She helped him out, placing her hand lightly in his. He brought it to his lips, kissing the back.

"You're a goddess," he sighed, smiling against her fingers. She laughed.

"You're tired," she murmured.

"So why did you choose to step in when you did?" he asked at length, folding his hands behind his head.

Katara took time with her answer, pulling off her now soaked shoes and socks and rolling up her similarly soaked pants. "Well… I heard her say you weren't an airbender anymore," she began slowly.

"So?"

Katara frowned. "Well… she was wrong," she muttered. "You're an airbender before anything else. That's what your people were… your family, your life…"

Aang finally opened his eyes and glanced at her. She shrugged. He smiled.

"Thanks," he said simply.

"No big deal," she murmured evasively, leaning her chin on her knees.

"You don't have to be embarrassed, you know," Aang said quietly.

"Embarrassed by what?" Katara asked, blushing a little.

"Caring about me," he replied, shrugging. She glanced at him. He smiled. "I'm not embarrassed that I care about you."

Katara laughed a little. "Maybe you should rest a little before you start hallucinating," she chided gently, smiling at him.

"I'm serious," he replied, smiling right back. "I don't say this kind of thing because I'm tired, I say it because I mean it." She glanced at him again. "I do like your hands, and I do think you're a goddess."

Katara looked away. "Well… I guess you're alright too," she replied, smirking a little.

Aang laughed and rolled his eyes. "Okay, fine, don't believe me," he sighed, waving the matter off. "You will eventually."

0000000

When Aang felt sufficiently rested, he and Katara waded out into the river to do some actual practicing. Their drills devolved into simply passing some water back and forth in a perfect circular path. They did this every so often to keep centered, as Katara put it. After all, waterbending was all about the flow of energy within and without the body, so allowing the water to simply flow between them helped keep them both clear.

"So why do you think you're having trouble earthbending?" Katara asked quietly after a long silence.

Aang glanced up at her but kept the water going. "I don't know… it's just so… direct," he sighed. "Airbending is all about moving in circular paths to keep the movement going, like the wind. And waterbending is really similar, it's just moving energy around." His eyes began following the water with a pensive expression. "But earthbending is all about standing your ground and smashing stuff."

Katara shrugged, a bit of a smirk on her face. "Sounds fun," she said good-naturedly.

Aang smiled a little and she grinned in accomplishment. "I don't know… maybe I'm just no good," he sighed.

"Aang you know that's not true," Katara responded instantly, prompting him to look up at her in surprise. She just smiled earnestly. "You're the most powerful bender I've ever met. But you are an airbender before anything else." He looked a little confused, so she continued. "Think about it. Fire and water are opposites, so earth and air must be too. Of course earthbending is difficult for you, it's your polar opposite."

Aang grinned at her. "Hey… you're right, Dollface," he realized. "That's why the elements are all so different. Nobody is really supposed to be able to learn more than one, after all."

"Nobody but you," she finished for him. She stopped the water between them and let it drop. "Come on."

"Where are we going?" he asked as they both climbed up onto the riverbank.

"Bar," she replied lightly. "We're going to go have a drink."

"Why?"

"Celebration."

"Of what?"

"Of you becoming a master waterbender."

Aang stopped in his tracks. She paused several steps ahead of him and glanced back. He was staring at her, eyes wide. She frowned in confusion, but then his face split into a wide grin and he practically pounced on her, grabbing her around the waist and spinning her in an ecstatic circle. Both of them laughed as they grew dizzy and eventually collapsed on the grass, still giggling.

"So about that drink," Katara laughed pointedly, rolling over to look at him. He was still grinning at her.

"Who needs hooch when I've got you, Dollface?" he asked slyly. She just laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Nice try, Sparky."

0000000

"Seriously, she's like twelve feet shorter than me… but she kicked my butt…"

Katara laughed a little as Aang ranted on, pointing at no one in particular and swishing his empty glass violently through the air. He finally turned to her, giving her a shrewd look. He leaned his elbows on the bar as she was doing on the other side, bringing them nearly nose-to-nose.

"You're awfully quiet," he noted vaguely, studying her eyes with unabashed curiosity.

"I'm drunk," she stated, staring straight back.

"Me too," he said with a single vigorous nod. She reached up and took his chin in her hand, steadying him.

"Quit moving," she demanded quietly. "I'm looking at your eyes."

"Why would you go and do that, Dolly?" he asked, still sounding rather disconnected as he mimicked her gesture and took her chin in his hand.

"There's some brown in them," she murmured, tugging him a little closer. "Grey eyes… with some brown…"

"Yours are all blue," he said instantly, though he wasn't looking at her eyes. He was looking at her lips. "…Pretty mouth."

"Hm?" she hummed in question, still studying his eyes.

"You've got a very pretty mouth," he repeated, stumbling over his words just a bit. They were both still holding each other's chin, so he tilted her head up a little to get a better look. "Probably tastes good…"

"Probably," she consented airily, running a hand through his hair. "Probably tastes like the finest moonshine in the world, as we have spent the last hour drinking it."

"Hear hear," he muttered, pulling her face just a little closer. "So apparently when you're drunk… you don't have so much of the um… inbith… inhibth…"

"Inhibitions," Katara corrected automatically. "Apparently."

"So there's nothing inhib… inhib… inhibiting me, haha, from kissing your pretty moonshine mouth right now," he pointed out.

"Nothing but… nothing," she said vaguely, nodding.

"I really want to kiss you."

"Do you?"

"Yep."

"Do I want you to kiss me?"

"I don't know… do you?"

"Do I?"

"Do you want me to kiss you?"

Katara laughed a little, and Aang did the same.

"I think I do," she sighed. "I think I've been thinking about this."

"I'm drunk," Aang stated suddenly.

"Me too," Katara giggled.

"I want to kiss you," he muttered. "And you've been thinking you think you want me to kiss you."

"I think," she answered with another giggle, nodding officiously.

"So I'm going to," he blurted.

"Going where?"

"Going to kiss you."

"Who?"

"Me."

"I want you to kiss me."

"I will… I am…" he stammered, tugging her lips just a little closer.

"I am drunk," Katara giggled.

"I am… kissing you," Aang replied firmly. He leaned forward, closed his eyes, and kissed her cheek. He pulled back from her and frowned. "I missed."

"I like your lips," Katara stated vaguely.

"I don't," Aang said sourly. "They missed."

"Missed what?"

"Your lips. I like your lips."

"How would you know that, Sparker? You haven't kissed me in seven years," she laughed a little at the end of her sentence.

"That's bad," he nodded. "I need to kiss you more."

"And not miss," she consented, raising her empty glass. "Cheers, to kissing."

"To kissing and not missing," he agreed airily, clinking their empty glasses together. "And also… I'm going to be hung-over tomorrow."

"Toph will not like it," Katara added, carefully inspecting the empty bottle beside them that had once been full of Riversider moonshine. "Empty… sad."

"Toph will not like it," Aang consented. "I can't remember where to go."

"Home," Katara pointed in the wrong direction. "We will definitely… figure it out…"

0000000

The next morning, Sokka found them both asleep in the bar, curled up together beneath a pool table. He rolled his eyes. Some master waterbenders they were.


	19. Chapter 19

_Well it only took me about forever, but here it is. Finally. Sorry about the wait. Real life is getting hectic and season two is hard to write. So... um... here?_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar_

* * *

CHAPTER 19

Aang snorted loudly in his sleep, waking Katara. She groaned.

"Owww…"

The first thing she noticed was the headache. She opened her eyes and immediately closed them. The world was not supposed to spin like that.

The second thing she noticed was breathing. Someone was breathing on the back of her neck. This same someone had wound his arms around her waist so tightly, she was surprised she hadn't suffocated. Aang. Of course it was Aang. Who else would she be asleep with? Under a… pool table?

"Ow …"

"Ow?"

She jumped and looked up. Her father was standing beside the pool table.

"Oh dear…" she sighed. He crouched down and frowned at her.

"Oh dear, huh?" he asked levelly. "What exactly happened here?"

Katara disentangled herself from Aang's warm embrace and sat up, nearly hitting her head on the bottom of the table.

"Well… Aang mastered waterbending yesterday," she began slowly, head pounding. "So we had a celebratory drink and um… another, and a few more…" Her father just quirked an eyebrow. She scowled at him. "Oh come on, Sokka gets drunk all the time."

"Yeah, but I don't find him asleep with a girl under a pool table," he said, still frowning.

"Just because you don't find him doesn't mean it doesn't happen," she pointed out sourly.

"How much of last night do you remember?" he asked, ignoring her.

Katara bit her lip. "Um… after the third drink, not much…" she admitted. Her eyes widened a little. Had anything happened between the two of them? She glanced at Aang, still asleep on the floor. She didn't feel like anything had happened… "I'm fine, Dad. Nothing… happened…"

Hakoda sighed. "Okay, but be ready for Sokka and Toph to give you crap," he warned her quietly. "Sokka saw the two of you earlier this morning."

Katara sighed again. "Oh dear…"

"There's coffee in the kitchen," Hakoda pointed out, getting back to his feet and brushing his pants off. "Keep yourself hydrated, eat something, you should feel better in a few hours."

"Yeah, thanks," she muttered. Hakoda left the bar and Katara groaned again. "Owww…"

"Stop yelling," Aang grumbled. Katara turned and glanced at him. He was frowning, rubbing his red eyes.

"I'm not yelling," she said quietly, reaching forward and helping him sit up.

"Then why is everything so loud?" he asked crossly. "My head… owww…"

"I know the feeling," she sighed. "Come on… let's head back to the house. There's coffee."

"Coffee sounds good," he replied vaguely, allowing her to help him to his feet.

Unfortunately, they didn't make it to the house immediately. The next thing Aang knew, he was on his knees behind the bar, throwing up into a bucket. Unpleasant as that was, he did rather enjoy the feeling on Katara's warm hand on his back, and he enjoyed the kiss on his cheek on their way back to the house even more. The sun was already high in the sky when they finally left the bar. Sokka and Toph, unfortunately, were waiting for them in the kitchen.

"So, sleep well?" Sokka asked with a smug grin. Katara glared. Aang ignored him. Sokka handed them a mug each, brimming with steaming coffee. Aang snatched his away from Sokka and retreated from the room. Katara sat down at the table and took a long drink.

"What did you do to him?" Toph laughed, an empty cereal bowl beside her on the table.

"We had a few drinks," Katara said firmly. "Got a little fried." Toph snickered. "Fell asleep under a pool table."

"Please, you're such a vamp," Toph laughed again. "You don't have to get him drunk, Sugar Queen. He's falling all over you anyway."

"Stop," Katara burst out in anger. "Stop talking about him that way. Stop… stop talking about me that way. Our relationship is none of your business. He's my best friend, so stop talking about him like he's just some prize I'm going after." She stopped a moment, getting to her feet. "Don't act like it's the same old story with us, like you've seen it all before. Because we're not like everyone else. We'll never be a cliché, so quit pretending we are."

She stormed out of the kitchen, coffee in hand.

"So she has a temper," Toph said after a lengthy silence. She glared in Sokka's general direction. "Thanks for warning me."

"Oh yeah, watch out for that," he said with a shrug. "It probably doesn't help that she's hung over." He thought for a moment. "We'll be heading out to the city soon, I suspect."

"Why?"

"Katara and I know all the best places for hangover food," Sokka shrugged again. "Like um… Mickey's Diner, on the west side. You know, the one in the old rail car? He makes hamburgers with scrambled eggs on them."

"…Gross?"

"Best hangover food in the city."

"…Interesting."

0000000

"Katara?"

The young waterbender paused on her way to her room. Aang was in his window seat with his mug, looking curiously into the hall. She leaned against his door frame and took a drink of her coffee. It seared its way down her throat, which felt a little raw anyway from all the drinking the night before.

"Yeah?"

"Do you… remember anything that happened last night?" he asked cautiously.

Katara took another drink. "Um… not really," she muttered.

Aang blushed and looked down. "Oh… me neither."

She frowned. "You're lying," she said slowly. Her eyes widened. "We didn't…"

"No no, no," Aang said hurriedly, nearly spilling his scalding coffee all over his lap. "I just… I um… I may have tried to uh… kiss you."

"Oh. You… may have."

"The details are kinda fuzzy…"

She laughed a little, incredulous. "Liar," she stated, shaking her head. "Tell me what happened."

"Fine," he grumbled, glaring out the window. "I decided I wanted to kiss you, and you decided you wanted me to kiss you."

Katara blushed. "Oh right…" she muttered, snatches of details coming back. "You missed."

He burned in embarrassment, raising his mug a little. "To kissing and not missing," he laughed nervously.

She reached up and ran a hand through her disheveled hair, laughing lightly in a bemused sort of way.

"Oh boy…" she sighed. "Did you… fall off the barstool?"

"I did," he unabashedly admitted. "And you climbed over the counter to make sure I was okay."

"So that's how we ended up under the pool table."

"I guess. I think I might have gotten a concussion from falling. I don't remember anything after that."

"Oh sure, blame the fall, not the forty gallons of white lightning you downed."

He laughed, but he stopped shortly. It made his head hurt.

"Let's just… be more careful next time," he suggested with a pained smile.

"Agreed," Katara sighed, smiling as she turned back into the hallway.

Katara sat down on her bed, slowly drinking her coffee. Her head was still pounding and her stomach was churning, but she felt oddly calm. So he had decided to kiss her… and she had decided she wanted him to kiss her. She remembered the conversation vaguely, if indeed it could be called a conversation. But it was easily passed off as the alcohol talking. He didn't have to know she actually did want him to kiss her.

She paused, nearly dropping her mug. It was all because of that stupid closet. That stupid completely sober almost-kiss. He was all she could think about, and it was driving her crazy. She sighed heavily and took another drink. It was definitely time for some hangover food.

0000000

"You've really never been to Mickey's?" Sokka asked Toph incredulously as the four of them made their way toward the west side shopping district, Appa loping along in front of them.

"Hello, my parents kept me a secret," Toph snorted. "I didn't exactly get out much during business hours."

"Right."

Aang and Katara trailed behind the two of them, still getting used to the sunlight. Aang had pulled his hat so far down over his eyes he could hardly see where he was going, so Katara linked an arm through his to keep him from walking into traffic.

On a wide street corner of the west side sat a dining car from an old passenger train. It had been turned into a diner nearly ten years ago, and Katara and Sokka found it to be the best place for hangover food on one of their many early morning escapades.

The owner, Mickey, an enormous man with a thick beard and mustache, started laughing when they walked in.

"I was wondering when I'd be seeing you two next," he chuckled, coming out from behind the counter and clapping a hand on Sokka's shoulder. "Spend the night at the Unagi again, eh?"

"Nope," Sokka replied with a smirk. "I'm fine. Katara, however, spent the night under a pool table."

Mickey seemed significantly surprised. He turned to Katara, who blushed in embarrassment. Aang pulled his hat further over his eyes. Mickey started laughing.

"I never thought I'd see the day," he roared. "Innocent little Katara found herself a drinking buddy."

Katara flushed. "He's a friend, Mickey," she muttered.

Mickey rolled his eyes. "Sure, sure…" he chuckled as he moved back behind the counter. "Two scrambled egg burgers, coming right up."

"Make it four, Mickey," Sokka added as the four of them found a booth. "Toph has to try one."

"Two new drinking buddies?" Mickey asked as he disappeared into the kitchen.

"No, just two new friends," Sokka replied with a shrug. Toph smiled a little.

Minutes later, Mickey was placing four burgers on the table along with a complimentary pot of coffee. Katara smiled gratefully. He came back moments later and placed a plate of raw hamburger beneath the table for Appa.

"So why are we eating these?" Aang asked, lifting the top off of his burger to ascertain that it was indeed covered in scrambled eggs.

"Hangover food, Sparky," Katara replied, already started on hers. "This stuff will bring you back faster than you'd believe."

Toph chewed on her own burger thoughtfully, trying to ignore how loudly Sokka chewed.

"You know, this stuff isn't half bad," she finally obliged. "I suppose I can trust the judgment of a couple of distillery brats when it comes to food."

"Distillery brats?" Sokka repeated, snorting. "Sure."

"Wow… I do feel better," Aang said at length.

Katara smiled. "Told you."

"I never doubted you," he pointed out with a smirk.

"Not out loud," she scoffed back. "But you so did." She sighed dramatically. "I guess this just shows you that I'm always right."

"Now that I already knew."

Toph took another bite of her burger. "This is going to get annoying," she said.

"Annoying was about a month ago," Sokka replied. "Now it's just ridiculous."

0000000

Toph stopped dead in her tracks as the four of them made their way back toward the distillery. Appa ran a wide circle around her and barked.

"What's wrong?" Aang asked quickly, recognizing his dog's danger bark.

"We're being followed," Toph said quietly, shifting her feet slightly. "Three people have been the same distance from us since we left the diner."

"Three?" Sokka asked. He frowned. "Girls?" Toph nodded. Sokka grabbed her by the arm. "We need to move, now."

He broke into a sprint, dragging Toph along until she got her bearings and started running with him. Aang and Katara bolted after them, Appa hot on their heels.

"Out of the way!"

A voice cut through the crowd behind them. It was a cold voice, a voice that couldn't be mistaken or unheard. Definitely Azula's voice.

Aang, a natural runner, was not doing very well. He still ached all over from his first earthbending lesson the day before, and scrambled egg burger or not, he was still hung over. He envied Katara. She was used to this, she had practically made a full recovery already. And she seemed to feel guilty about it, because she reached back and took his hand.

"Come on, Sparky," she growled. "Don't let it get to you." He shot a haggard glance in her direction. She let out a frustrated breath. "Sokka, do you have a plan here beyond running?"

"Working on it," he shouted over his shoulder. Katara nearly lost her footing and sent both herself and Aang into the street when Sokka whipped around a corner without warning, but she managed to keep them on the sidewalk.

"Where did-" Katara began frantically as they whirled around the corner. She had lost sight of Sokka. But all of a sudden, Aang was being pulled away from her. She felt his hand around her wrist.

"Katara!" he shouted in surprise. Katara looked over and gasped.

"Zuko," she growled. The banished Dragon had a hold of the back of Aang's jacket.

"Just hand him over and I won't have to hurt you," Zuko shouted, yanking on Aang's jacket and wrenching him away from Katara.

"You let go of him!" Katara shot back, making a grab for Aang's hand. But someone snatched her around the waist, pulling her back.

"Katara, come on!" Sokka said under his breath, pulling her back onto the crowded sidewalk.

"What are you doing? We have to help him!" she hissed, squirming endlessly to get out of his grip.

"I don't think there's a lot we can do for him right now," Sokka said through gritted teeth. "I lost Toph, and Azula and her gang are right behind us."

"Sokka, no!" she shouted, but he wouldn't relent, pulling her back into an alley.

"Katara! I'll lead them off! Go!" she heard Aang shouting from across the street.

"What…" Katara began helplessly, but Sokka grabbed her by the arm and started running again.

"Azula," he said simply. Katara turned around and saw the three girls fighting toward them through the crowded street. Appa got to Katara and Sokka first, nervously trotting around them in circles.

"Where's Toph?" Katara asked.

0000000

"Sokka?" Toph called. There were so many people walking around and cars rumbling by, it was getting hard to see. She had lost Sokka in the crowd moments ago. She heard Katara shouting somewhere down the street and tried to follow, but she ran into someone.

"Oh, excuse me young lady."

Iroh smiled down at her, rubbing his stomach where Toph had run into him.

"Oh, sorry," Toph muttered. "I'm just… in a bit of trouble."

"Is there any way I can help?" he asked, genuinely concerned.

Toph glared at him. "Oh, so I need help just because I'm blind?" she growled, pointing an accusing finger at him.

Iroh laughed, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "No no, I would have offered you help whether you were blind or not," he said simply. "That's just what I do."

Toph couldn't help but smile a little. "Oh… well then…" she began, not quite used to such kindness. "Thanks for the offer?"

He laughed again. "You're very welcome," he obliged. "You know… you remind me of my nephew. He wandered off on his own a few weeks ago. He didn't like it when I offered him help either." Toph wasn't sure what to say, but Iroh continued. "Just remember, you don't have to do everything on your own. Everybody needs a little help sometimes, but that doesn't mean you aren't capable."

He gave a little wave and put his hands in his pockets, wandering off into the crowd. Toph smiled after him.

"Thanks," she said quietly.

"Toph!"

She jumped. Sokka was shouting her name from somewhere nearby.

"Sokka, I'm coming!" she called back as she started running.

0000000

Aang was running again. He found he was getting really sick of running. He had managed to escape Zuko a few blocks back, but now Zuko and Azula were chasing him, fighting each other the whole way. He could hear them shouting, hear the fire blasts hitting the pavement and storefronts along the way. He groaned. It was broad daylight in the middle of a crowded street. Were they both stupid or something?

"Earthbender," he muttered to himself. "Be an earthbender." He turned a corner into an alley that led him to a nearly empty backstreet. He stopped abruptly. "Time to stop running."

All at once, the quiet street became a battlefield. There was fire everywhere, and it was all Aang could do to avoid it all. The siblings were still shouting at each other.

"Back off, Azula," Zuko roared, throwing fistfuls of fire at her and Aang. "This isn't your business."

"Wrong," Azula shouted back, a smirk permanently on her face. "It's my business to get rid of you, and it's my business to bring the Avatar to Dad." More fire came roaring in Aang's direction. He ran up a wall to avoid it.

"This is ridiculous," Aang growled.

"Shut up!" Zuko shouted at him, throwing more fire in his direction. Azula did the same, and all of a sudden he was penned in. Aang felt his muscles tightening in panic. His head was still throbbing, he was having trouble focusing. There was fire coming at him, red on one side, blue on the other. He sighed. Uh oh.

"Move it, Sparky!"

The next thing he knew, he was tumbling to the ground. Someone had shoved him out of the way. Someone who had just thrown a shield of water up in front of the two of them. She turned and scowled at him.

"Just because you're an earthbender now doesn't mean you can just stand there when a load of fire is coming at you," she growled at him, offering him her hand. He took it with a sheepish smile.

"Good to see you too," he sighed, brushing himself off. Toph and Sokka came skidding into view, Appa racing after them. "Where've you been?"

"Dealing with the goons," Katara said with a shrug.

"That one in the pink was hitting on me," Sokka muttered uncomfortably. Toph laughed.

"This is all very touching, but a bit beside the point, don't you think?" Azula said suddenly, aiming a blast of lightning at her brother.

"No!"

Everyone looked over in surprise. Iroh seemed to appear out of nowhere, placing himself between his niece and nephew. He extended one hand and the lightning passed right through him, shooting from the other hand and smashing part of a nearby wall into so much brick dust.

Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Zuko, and Iroh all surrounded Azula, poised to strike. She sighed dramatically.

"I know when I'm beat," she said lightly. "I couldn't possibly measure up against all of you."

Iroh glanced over in surprise. The blind girl he had spoken to was with the Avatar?

There was no warning. Not the slightest hint of movement before a wicked wall of blue flame was cutting across Iroh's chest. Five attacks were instantly thrown at her, but she threw a wall of flames up before her and vanished in the smoke.

Zuko fell to his knees. Iroh had fallen.


	20. Chapter 20

_You wouldn't even believe how busy I've been. No seriously, you wouldn't even believe it._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar_

* * *

CHAPTER 20

"Ugh, I can't believe this."

"Me neither."

Mai and Ty Lee wandered down the crowded street, both a little more roughed up than they were used to.

"A dog. Really? A dog?" Mai sighed, rolling her eyes.

"It was a really big dog," Ty Lee pointed out.

"Yeah, a really big dog that bit me and tackled you and let those Riversiders get away."

Ty Lee sighed. "Azula's not going to be happy," she murmured.

"Oh girls, when are you going to learn?"

Ty Lee jumped. Mai just rolled her eyes. Azula had apparently materialized behind them, primly brushing off her shoulders.

"I'm not one to judge," she continued lightly. "Besides, it wasn't a total waste. I managed to put my fool of an uncle out of commission."

"Iroh?" Ty Lee said quietly. "Oh… I always liked him…"

"He's an idiot, Ty Lee," Azula snapped. "Don't forget it. He is our enemy just as much as Zuko and the Avatar. And apparently those Riversiders and their dog."

"Actually I think it's the Avatar's dog," Mai added carelessly.

Azula glared at her. She shrugged.

0000000

"Zuko, please, I can help him," Katara pleaded quietly, carefully approaching Zuko as he knelt over his uncle.

"We don't need your help," he snapped.

"Please," Katara repeated. Aang put a comforting hand on her back and she sighed a little.

Zuko turned suddenly, sending an arc of fire toward all of them that they barely managed to avoid. "Leave!" he roared.

"Come on," Aang said quietly, taking her hand and moving off down the quiet street. Appa slunk along after them, head low and tail swishing slowly on the ground. Sokka and Toph followed.

They were silent on the way back to the distillery. When they finally reached the gates, they all paused.

"Now it's really not safe for us out there," Sokka sighed. "We've got Zuko and Azula after us, and they're fighting each other for it."

"I'm sorry," Aang said abruptly, looking down.

"What?" Katara asked as if she'd heard him wrong.

He shook his head. "It's my fault. You guys wouldn't be in this kind of trouble if it wasn't for me," he sighed.

Toph laughed a little. "This kind of trouble is half the fun, Twinkle Toes," she snorted. "Don't be sorry for keeping us all in shape."

He didn't look convinced in the least until Katara took his hand.

"If I had a choice between being chased by a few crazy Dragons and never meeting you," she began quietly, smiling. "I'd choose the former every time."

"Me too, as much as it pains me to admit it," Sokka sighed, pulling the gate open. "Come on, let's get some rest."

He and Toph made their way in, Appa bounding after them. Katara made to follow them, but Aang held her still.

"Thank you," he said quietly. She smiled.

"Don't mention it."

0000000

Toph didn't demand another earthbending lesson until the next day, which Aang was grateful for. It went much better than the first, anyway. He could actually move rocks now, thanks to his conversation with Katara and his decision to stop running from Zuko and Azula.

But as Aang's earthbending progressed, Katara discovered a new problem. She couldn't watch him earthbend. She pretended it was because he could get hurt and she hated to see him in pain, but she knew better. He didn't wear a shirt while he was earthbending, and all she had to do was glance at him at the right moment to see all that muscle. Sure, she had been aware of it when they waterbended together, but earthbending required him to use those muscles much more than waterbending. It garnered a rather alarming reaction from her that usually ended in her stammering that she had to go practice some waterbending. Luckily, no one followed her at these times, because they would see she wasn't waterbending, nine times out of ten. She was just sitting in the cold river water with her face in her hands, muttering to herself about how stupid she was being.

The worst of it was that Aang was so proud of himself, he frequently asked Katara to watch him. He was so excited, she couldn't turn him down. So she would have to watch, biting her lip and sitting on her hands, smiling whenever he looked over and trying desperately to keep herself from blushing.

Of course, as soon as she was done sitting through that, Aang would ask for a waterbending lesson to cool off. That was when he really noticed it was getting to her.

"You're awfully quiet," he pointed out during one of these lessons as he passed a ribbon of water to her.

She caught it rather ungracefully and it slipped through her fingers, dropping back into the river. She sighed and shook her hands dry.

"Uh… I guess," she obliged, focusing intently on the river to avoid looking at him, standing there shirtless with all of those stupid earthbending muscles.

He frowned. "You've been acting weird for a couple weeks now," he continued. "What's wrong?"

She finally glanced up at him. He looked concerned. She laughed a little, shaking her head. He really had no idea what he did to her.

"Ah… it's nothing," she said lightly, standing up straight and resting her hands on her hips. "Alright, show me your octopus form."

Aang shrugged and settled into his stance. She looked at him shrewdly, the beginnings of a smirk working at the corners of her mouth. She stepped toward him, ducking under his arm and taking hold of his elbows. She felt him stiffen in surprise.

"Your arms are too far apart," she said quietly, guiding his arms inward. "If you keep them tighter in, you'll protect your center."

"Oh… oh…" he stammered, exhaling heavily. She smiled. He'd been holding his breath. "Thanks."

"What's wrong?" she asked, the smirk in her voice painfully obvious. "You're awfully quiet."

He turned his head so fast he cricked his neck, bringing them nose-to-nose.

"Ow," he said blankly, staring at her.

She quirked an eyebrow at him, smirking. "Gee, don't hurt yourself, Sparky," she said lowly, stepping away from him and walking back to her place. She could feel his eyes on her the whole way. When she turned back to face him, he had hardly moved a muscle, though now his mouth was hanging open. She settled into her stance.

"Ready?"

He stared at her. "Uh…" he began. The next thing he knew, he was washing up on the riverbank. She appeared in his line of sight, looking down at him and shaking her head.

"Come on, Sparky, let's focus shall we?" she said lightly, offering him a hand. He took it with a heavy sigh and she pulled him to his feet.

"Focus," he muttered, watching her move back into the river and wave at him to follow. "Sure."

0000000

"Good morning, everyone!"

Katara, Aang, and Toph all looked over in surprise. Sokka was grinning as he walked into the kitchen.

"Nice day, huh?" he asked.

"…Sokka?" Aang asked suspiciously. "Is that you?"

Katara was looking at him carefully. Aang glanced at her. Suddenly, a look of realization came over her face.

"Oh," she said simply.

"Yep," Sokka said with a grin.

She smiled. "Oh," she repeated quietly. "It is a nice day."

"Oh great, your magical sibling telepathy skills are at it again," Toph burst out, waving her arms in the air. "How about you just tell us what all the optimism is about?"

"It's our week," Katara said, smiling.

"Your week?" Aang repeated.

"Every year, Dad gives us one week off, no matter how many deliveries there are or things to do," Sokka replied. "Starting today, we can do whatever we want for seven days."

"We usually take a trip up to Ba Sing Se," Katara added. "People call this place Sin City? Not even. We've got nothing on Ba Sing Se."

"I've never been there," Aang sighed. "Gyatso was going to take me when I turned sixteen."

Katara placed a comforting hand on his back and they didn't pursue the subject.

"Well, I guess we know how we're spending our week," Katara said with a smile.

"Great," Sokka said with a grin. "Let's head out to town to pick up some stuff for the road. Then we'll be on our way."

0000000

Barely an hour later, they were running yet again.

"Will these people ever give up?" Toph shouted in frustration as the four of them tore down the street, Appa racing ahead of them. It wasn't even Zuko or Azula this time, just some Dragon gangsters on motorbikes calling themselves the Rough Rhinos.

Suddenly, Toph started stumbling. Sokka caught her just before she hit the pavement.

"What's going on?" he asked her, clearly not happy to be stopping for any amount of time.

"Uh… ah…" she began, wincing. "We're near the street car. Too many vibrations… I can't see…"

Sure enough, the tram was rumbling along a perpendicular street. Sokka looked around quickly, assessing the situation.

"Let's go!" Katara urged, casting a glance back down the street where a group of motorcycles were roaring toward them.

Sokka sighed and grabbed Toph around the waist, prompting her to shriek like the teenage girl she was and surprising all three of them.

"Oh come on, just pick me up will you?" she shouted, blushing in embarrassment. "It's not like I expected you to grab me, I mean I can't exactly see you, can I?!"

Sokka scooped her up into his arms without another word. She grabbed him by the shoulders when he started running.

"What are you doing?" he grumbled, almost losing his balance.

"Carry me on your back, stupid, it'll be easier," she snapped. He helped her onto his back silently and started sprinting.

This time, Aang and Katara whipped around a corner, nearly sending Sokka and Toph skidding into the street.

"There," Sokka shouted. He pointed up ahead. The old public library on the south side, long since abandoned. Most of the inside was destroyed in a mysterious fire thirty years previously. The outside remained intact, but it had been boarded up and condemned. No one was quite sure why it was never torn down, but there were rumors of a spirit living inside.

Katara and Aang knew of these rumors, of course. But they didn't trouble with them as they ran toward the old building. Aang broke the door down without a second's hesitation and the four of them were plunged into gloomy half light. Katara turned and froze the door back into place as soon as Appa made it inside.

Sokka immediately dropped to the ground, nearly dislodging Toph.

"Hey, give a girl some warning, will you?!" she snarled, kicking herself away from him and getting unsteadily to her feet.

The four of them turned to look at the place they'd stumbled into. It was like nothing they had ever seen. It was dark, first and foremost, the only light coming from the glass atrium high above. The ceilings were lost in the gloom, the building was immense. The walls were lined with the charcoal remains of bookshelves, staircases winding up and down between floors.

"Wow," Katara said quietly, idly scratching Appa behind the ears when he bumped his head into her hand.

"Yeah," Aang murmured, craning his head back to look up into the atrium. "Hey… look at that." Katara looked up as well. There was something hanging from the ceiling near the glass paned pyramid on top of the building.

"Looks like they had some old stuff displayed up there," Sokka said, squinting up toward the ceiling. "They look like hang gliders or something…"

"Yeah you're right, just like hang gliders," Toph grumbled sarcastically. They could still hear the distant rumble of the street car, distorting her vision.

"I'll take a closer look," Aang said, suddenly leaping into the air and sending all three of them staggering back a few steps from the force of the wind. He propelled himself upward and grabbed onto one of the gliders. It was hanging from the ceiling by two chains.

"Ice breath," Katara called.

"Oh yeah, thanks," he shouted back. He swung himself up and blew ice onto the chains until they grew brittle and snapped. He stopped himself just before hitting the floor.

"What is it?" Katara asked as he approached them. It did indeed look like a hang glider, only more compact.

"I don't know," he said with a shrug. "But it looks familiar." He spun it and it snapped shut into a staff that stood slightly taller than him. "Oh, that's what it is."

Katara smiled in excitement. "A glider staff," she said, impressed.

"I've only seen these in books," Sokka added.

"Yeah me too," Aang replied, grinning. "The ancient airbenders used these things all the time, but nobody has made them in hundreds of years." He tossed it between his hands. "These ones must have been on loan from the museum for display when the library burned down."

"What's it for?" Toph asked, curious in spite of herself.

"Flying," Aang said excitedly.

The three of them jumped when a crash rent the silence of the huge building. They whipped around in surprise. Massive cracks were splitting the ice Katara had created in the doorway.

"They're trying to get in," Sokka muttered.

"Well you led us here," Toph pointed out angrily. "Get us out, Snoozles."

Sokka sighed heavily. "Okay, okay," he muttered. He glanced back at Toph. "Can you see?"

She tapped her foot on the floor and glanced away. "…Doesn't seem like it…" she admitted reluctantly.

He grabbed her hands and pulled her onto his back without another word, eliciting another shriek of surprise from her. He had the grace to ignore it and they started running again.

"Stairs," he shouted, veering off to the left just as the ice shattered behind them and a barrage of fireballs came sizzling in their direction. Aang shoved Katara behind him and spun the old staff in front of them both, deflecting the flames.

"Well I'm impressed," Katara said with a grin. Aang rolled his eyes and grabbed her hand, pulling her after Sokka and Toph.

Unfortunately, the Rough Rhinos were quicker on their feet than Sokka had hoped. They were at the top of the stairs by the time the four of them were only halfway down, and fireballs were raining down on them. Sokka missed a step and sent all four of them crashing down the stairs with Appa running just ahead.

"Uh oh," Aang muttered when they reached the bottom in a tangled heap of limbs. He was looking back up at the top of the stairs. "Guys, this staircase is made of wood."

Sure enough, the stairs were slowly catching fire, but the Rough Rhinos seemed heedless to this fact. The dark hallway they had landed in was slowly filling with smoke.

"We've got to move," Sokka shouted over the roaring of the flames, the shouting of the Rhinos, and Appa's ceaseless barking. They all ran.

A door slammed. The only sound was coughing. Aang opened his eyes. Apparently he had made it out of the hallway with Sokka and Katara, who were both coughing the smoke from their lungs.

"Where are we?" Katara asked faintly.

"Where's Toph?" Sokka added.

Aang looked around. "Where's Appa?"

The three of them turned away from the door and gasped in unison. They were in a nearly identical hall to the one above them, but this one was not reduced to boarded windows and piles of ash.

"An underground library?" Katara said quietly.

"Correct."

The three of them looked around for the source of the voice. A great flapping noise shattered the silence as a massive owl landed before them in a rush of wind and a clatter of talons.

"An underground library that was meant to remain underground," the owl said in a low, melodic voice.

"Are you…" Aang began uncertainly, feeling some familiarity toward the owl.

"I am Wan Shi Tong, the Knowledge Spirit," the owl replied. "And I guard this library from the likes of you."

Aang, Sokka, and Katara simultaneously exhaled the breaths they had been holding.


	21. Chapter 21

_Auuugghhh my god, this took so much more effort than it should have. Sorry guys, there's like no motivation right now. It may be a while until the next chapter._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar_

* * *

CHAPTER 21

"Sokka? Katara? Aang?" Toph shouted as she moved slowly through the hallway at the bottom of the staircase. She had one hand on the wall to guide herself, since the street cars seemed to resonate here as well. She stopped. Someone was coming. "Who's there? Identify yourself!"

Woof.

"Oh, Appa, good, it's you," she sighed in relief, reaching blindly for the dog. She felt his wet nose against her hand and couldn't help but smile, scratching his head gratefully. "Do you know where everyone went?"

He barked again and sat down.

"Yeah, me neither," she exhaled heavily and sat beside him, leaning against the wall. "Man, this blind thing really stinks." He woofed in what sounded like a sympathetic way and she smiled again.

0000000

"Oh come in, this is ridiculous."

Katara and Aang glanced at Sokka. He pointed at the owl and shook his head.

"This is the real world, birdface," he called. "Isn't there a Spirit World that you're supposed to be in?"

"Your disrespect doesn't really motivate me to answer you," the owl replied in an even tone, dark eyes turning to Sokka. "But I will regardless. I once believed curiosity to be worthy of reward. That is why I'm here."

"What do you mean?" Katara asked quietly, genuinely curious.

"The older Spirits have never been fond of humans," Wan Shi Tong continued placidly. "Thousands of years ago, I disagreed with them. I sneaked to the human world whenever I could, teaching them and learning from them. I walked among them as one of their own."

Before their eyes, Wan Shi Tong began to shrink in upon himself, feathers smoothing into skin and hair and fabric. In a matter of moments, what appeared to be a middle-aged man stood before them. He had pale skin and dark eyes, his dark hair and cropped beard framing his face like that of the owl. His dark robes, Aang noticed, seemed similar to Avatar Roku's. But older.

"I convinced my…" he trailed off and glanced away for a moment. "The Sun Spirit, I convinced the Sun Spirit to give the western humans the gift of dragons, and she was nearly banished to this world for it. But I came instead and brought my library to share with you humans." A dark look came over his face. "But her gift was squandered."

"Firebenders," Sokka sighed, shaking his head again.

"I lost my faith in humans not just because of the firebenders, young Riversider," he corrected firmly. "The only use humans make of the gift of knowledge is to use it to destroy each other. I have hidden my library here so my knowledge will never be misused again."

"Sounds like you got left holding the bag," Aang said at length.

The man sighed. "You humans and your slang," he shook his head in disappointment.

Aang blushed in embarrassment. "Oh uh… what I meant was you got less than you deserved," he corrected himself humbly. Katara smiled.

"I know what you meant, though I appreciate your attempt to explain yourself," Wan Shi Tong replied in his even voice, though his dark eyes glimmered briefly in amusement. "After all, I do know ten thousand things."

Katara grinned. "That was always part of the stories my mother told me," she sighed. "Wan Shi Tong, he who knows ten thousand things, and um…"

The Knowledge Spirit made a strange gesture at that point. If he had been a bird it wouldn't have been unusual. He shuffled his arms slightly as though ruffling his wings. "I'm sure these stories had something to do with the Sun Spirit," he said tonelessly. "And our perceived romance."

"Oh yeah, I've heard those too," Aang cut in. "After you were banished you moved your library to the desert so you could be closer to her."

Wan Shi Tong didn't respond. Aang flushed again.

"If you have nothing more to say, I suggest you leave," he said darkly.

"Wait," Sokka said suddenly. "We can't just… pass up on all of this knowledge, right?"

Aang and Katara stared at him. Sokka swallowed hard.

"I mean um… can't we just… look around for a while?"

The spirit shook his head. "You will just use my knowledge to get the upper hand on someone else, will you not?"

"No no, we just want knowledge for knowledge's sake!" Sokka replied defensively. He glanced around wildly and his eyes fell on Aang. He shoved him forward. "Here, he's the Avatar! Bridge between our worlds! He'll vouch for us."

Wan Shi Tong looked at Aang with slight interest.

"Uh… sure, yeah," Aang continued. "I swear upon my duty as the Avatar, we will not use your library for our own ends."

The spirit sighed. "Very well, but to enter you must give me a piece of knowledge to add to my collection."

The three of them exchanged a glance and simultaneously reached the same thought. Katara reached for her back pocket, Aang reached for his front, and Sokka dug around inside his jacket. They each produced a folded up piece of paper. The spirit unfolded them one by one, revealing three wanted posters, one of each. Sokka and Katara had long ago made it a habit to keep recent copies of their own wanted posters, just to see how much they were worth. Aang had taken up the hobby, as had Toph. Wan Shi Tong seemed slightly amused.

"I suppose these will do," he muttered. "Take as long as you like."

With that, he turned back into a massive owl and soared off into the shadowed depths of the library.

Aang and Katara both turned to Sokka. Katara crossed her arms over her chest and frowned.

"What?" Sokka asked innocently.

"Why?" Katara instantly responded.

"This is our chance to find out as much as we can about the Avatar," he said with a shrug.

"True, but that's not why you want to be here," Katara continued suspiciously.

"Fine," Sokka sighed. "There's gotta be something about the Dragons in here."

"You made me lie to the Knowledge Spirit?" Aang blurted.

"No, we just omitted the truth," Sokka replied, waving the matter off and moving into the library.

"That's the same thing!"

0000000

"Uncle, are you sure you're well enough to take a trip like this?"

Iroh chuckled. "I appreciate your concern, but contrary to the song, it isn't really a long long way to Ba Sing Sei."

"Don't start singing again, please," Zuko groaned.

The two of them had spent some time in hiding after Azula's attack. Iroh was still recovering, though he was doing much better and slowly teaching Zuko finer points of bending lightning. He had started out just trying to show Zuko how, but that hadn't worked, so he was coaching Zuko in the mental aspect as they made their way to Ba Sing Sei. They had managed to hitch a ride on an old passenger ferry going lazily upriver, and it would take them several days to reach the city. Ba Sing Sei, they had decided, was going to be much easier to hide in from Azula.

Iroh shrugged and started humming. Zuko groaned.

0000000

"So what's the story on Wan Shi Tong anyway?" Sokka asked vaguely as he, Aang and Katara sifted through shelves and shelves of books, maps, scrolls and newspapers.

"You mean you've never heard it?" Aang asked distractedly as he came across a book about famous pirates and started flipping through the old pages.

"Sokka wasn't into the 'fairy tales' when we were little," Katara said, rolling her eyes. She was sitting on the floor in front of a crowded bookshelf, a stack of books beside her. She paused, examining a very old scroll that depicted a few simple waterbending moves. "I heard this story from Mom all the time."

"So what is it?" Sokka asked impatiently, studying a sprawling topographical map of the area surrounding the city before it had been settled.

"The story is basically a tragic romance," Katara said thoughtfully. "Wan Shi Tong was as he said. He loved humans, thought they were fascinating. He came to our world all the time to speak with the ancient people. Then one day, the Sun Spirit, Sol, wandered right into his library in the Spirit World." She smiled wistfully. "Just like that, they fell in love." Aang glanced at her, failing to hide his grin. She didn't notice, engrossed in another waterbending scroll. She turned her attention to the shelf for a moment. "Oh would you look at that! The owl's got some records, too."

Aang and Sokka looked over in great interest. "What's he got?" they asked in unison.

Katara started pulling the records from the shelf, reading their covers. "A lot of old classics and um… hey here we go! Al Jolson, Bessie Smith, the Memphis Five, Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton… of course, the Charleston and Rhapsody in Blue."

"Hip to the jive," Sokka said with an approving nod. "Now I'm more impressed by this Wan guy."

"It's Wan Shi Tong, and he doesn't collect it because he likes it, he collects it because it's knowledge," Aang pointed out. "It's what he does, it's what he's done for thousands of years."

"What a life," Sokka muttered, turning his attention to another stack of maps. "This guy's off his nuts."

"No, he's heartbroken," Katara sighed. "See… the Sun Spirit's sister, the Moon Spirit, was in love with the Ocean Spirit. They were fond of humans as well, and they taught them to waterbend. So they were banished to the human world."

"Yeah, they really do live at the base of the spring at the Northern Distillery," Aang added.

"When Wan Shi Tong saw that the spirits could teach the humans to do something amazing like bending, he convinced Sol to come to the human world with him to teach some humans to bend fire," Katara continued. "But Sol knew it wasn't allowed, so she just gave the humans dragons and trusted them to figure it out for themselves. As you can imagine, they did."

"But then the firebenders started getting violent, and someone had to be punished," Aang finished for her. "So Wan took all the punishment for her, came to the human world with his library in an effort to share his knowledge with humans and stop the spread of violence and discontent."

"Didn't work, huh?" Sokka said grimly.

"Nope," Katara sighed again. "So he turned his back on us and moved his library to a desert, so he could be closer to the Sun Spirit."

"How did he end up here?" Sokka wondered vaguely.

"I don't know," Aang said, shrugging. "The desert he lived in was probably domesticated, so he came here. After all, the Moon and Ocean were already here and they were safe. I guess this city is a good place for spirits."

"Some people say there are solar eclipses because Sol is so sad," Katara said quietly. "She hides behind her sister so she can cry."

Sokka dropped the book he was holding. "Solar eclipse?" he repeated. "But… firebenders get their bending from the sun."

Katara and Aang shared a look. They glanced at Sokka. A grin was slowly spreading across his face. He looked around him quickly.

"Where do you suppose he keeps the Farmers' Almanac?" he asked, smirking.

0000000

Toph was bored. Excruciatingly bored. Plus she had a headache from the street car rumbling by almost constantly. Luckily, Appa was her only company, so there was nothing stopping her from cursing as often and as viciously as she wanted.

She was lying on her back, hands folded on her stomach, head resting on Appa's back.

"It's not that I'm not worried about them," she told Appa. "I've just never been a fan of libraries." She had, at this point, figured out that she was leaning up against the outer wall of an underground library, and she felt the distant vibrations of Aang, Sokka, and Katara moving around within it during a rare pause in the trundling street car. "It's not like I can read."

Appa whined sympathetically.

"You know, you're all right, Appa," Toph sighed. He barked and she laughed a little. "Slightly more civilized company than I'm used to these days." He growled a little. "I'm not saying Aang is uncivilized." Another growl. "Or Katara." His tail started wagging. "I'm just saying they're more interested in each other than anyone else, so I'm stuck with Sokka all the time." He whined again. "I guess he's not so bad."

Appa growled, a little more forcefully this time.

"What? I'm trying to be honest here," Toph said grumpily.

The dog kept growling. Toph sat up and he immediately got to his feet, standing protectively in front of her.

"Someone's coming?" she asked warily. He barked. Toph got hastily to her feet and fell into an earthbending stance. "Bring it on."

0000000

"Sokka, this is ridiculous," Katara sighed as they abandoned yet another section of the library. "Dad has this year's Farmers' Almanac at home."

"Yeah, I don't think we should stick around any longer," Aang consented, looking over his shoulder. "Wan Shi Tong might be on to us, and I'm worried about Toph and Appa."

The telltale rushing of wings was all the warning they got.

"I'm afraid I can't let you leave."

Wan Shi Tong came to a landing in front of the three of them. He shook his head.

"You humans are so predictable," he said evenly. "Using my library for personal gain."

"Hey, we didn't get anything valuable from here, we figured it out ourselves," Sokka said defensively.

Katara rolled her eyes. "Not helping."

"I'm taking my knowledge back," the spirit continued. "And I'm making sure no one can use it for anything, ever again."

He started flapping his massive wings and the ground began to tremble.

"I think we're in trouble," Aang said slowly.

"Run!" Sokka shouted, turning and sprinting away from the owl. Aang and Katara followed him at a dead run.

0000000

"Well well, if it isn't the Blind Bandit."

Toph frowned. She didn't recognize his voice, but she could tell the man speaking to her was one of the Rough Rhinos. And from what she could see through the trembling ground, there were several more behind him.

Trembling ground… was the ground shaking even more now?

"Hey what's going on?" one of them men asked.

So they felt it too. Toph's blank eyes widened.

"Library sinking," she whispered. She turned and sprinted toward the wall. "Library sinking!"

She rooted her feet firmly to the ground and delivered a firm two-handed punch to the wall, sinking her knuckles into the stone and stopping the building's downward progress. Appa started barking.

"Hey, isn't that the Avatar's dog?" one of the men said quietly.

"You stay away from him!" Toph roared, turning away from the wall for a moment to send a column of stone shooting in their direction. She missed and drove her hands back into the wall. She heard a couple of them laughing.

"I bet we could get some heavy sugar for the Avatar's dog in Ba Sing Sei," the man continued. She heard Appa barking again, then he abruptly stopped.

"No!" Toph shouted, throwing a few more pillars of rock in their direction that they avoided with ease. "No…" She plunged her hands back into the wall and felt her eyes welling up. "I'm sorry Appa…"

0000000

Aang, Katara and Sokka finally came into sight of the door, Wan Shi Tong at their heels. Sokka reached the door first and wrenched it open, only to find it blocked by several feet of stone.

"The library is already sinking," Sokka shouted over the groaning of the rock.

"I'm surprised it hasn't already," Aang replied. "Stand back." He stepped toward the doorway and pounded a fist to the rock, blasting a path back up to the hallway. The three of them climbed out and found Toph a few yards back toward the stairs, her hands dug into the wall.

"Toph!" Aang shouted. She jumped, startled, and let go of the wall. The library abruptly dropped into the ground, sending a wave of dirt and dust into the hallway. Sokka pulled Toph onto his back without a word and started racing back toward the stairs in the dust. The Rough Rhinos had created a new staircase by piling the remains of bookcases from the destroyed library above. The four of them climbed back up and proceeded straight out of the fake library as fast as they could.

As soon as they made it to the street, the ground shook with a resounding crash, and dust and ash exploded from the boarded windows. Then all was silent. Sokka sat on the ground, startling Toph again. Aang and Katara sat beside him and they all fell back onto the ground, breathing deeply.

"Well that was more adventure than I needed in one day," Katara sighed.

"No kidding," Aang responded.

Sokka just grunted, still trying to catch his breath.

They were all silent for quite some time. The city was abnormally quiet near the old library. A lot of the area had been destroyed in Dragon raids, leaving it relatively empty. When the silence was finally broken, it was Toph who spoke first.

"Aang," Toph said quietly. "I'm… so sorry…"

"What about?" Aang asked, bewildered.

She sighed and shook her head. "The Rhinos, they… took…"

Aang sat up and looked around. "Where's Appa?"

Katara sat up abruptly. Sokka looked over at them.

Toph sighed again. "The Rhinos took him…"

Aang's eyes widened and filled with tears. He got to his feet and stumbled back a few steps. "What?"

She shook her head and wiped her eyes on the back of her hand.

"Aang…" Katara began quietly, getting to her feet and reaching toward him.

"No," Aang said suddenly, backing away from her. "No, that's not…" He looked around again, then turned angrily on Toph. "How could you let this happen?!"

"I'm sorry!" she cried, pressing the heels of her hands to her eyes. "I'm sorry, I tried to save him, but I couldn't see! I couldn't see and the library was sinking and… and… I'm so sorry…"

"Aang, it's not her fault," Katara said quietly, trying to reach him again. He shrugged her off.

"No… no, Rhinos," he rambled on. "Where are the Rhinos? Where did they take him?"

"Ba Sing Sei," Toph muttered miserably.

Aang slammed the butt of his staff to the ground, snapping the glider open. "We're going," he said lowly.

"Aang, be reasonable," Sokka said quickly, getting to his feet. "Ba Sing Sei is two days away by car, and there's no way you can fly faster than that." Aang didn't respond. "Come back to the distillery with us, we'll get everything packed, and we'll all go to Ba Sing Sei and get Appa back together." He was still silent. "Okay?"

Aang sighed heavily. "Fine," he muttered. He turned and started marching toward the distillery.

Toph and Sokka followed him. Katara stood for a moment, watching Aang stomp away from her. She turned her gaze to the ground, shoulders sagging, and slowly followed them home.


	22. Chapter 22

_I really rather like the first part of this chapter. The second part... eh..._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar_

* * *

CHAPTER 22

It was barely an hour before Sokka's truck was packed and they were all on their way out of the city. As Sokka had said, it was a two day drive to Ba Sing Sei. Sokka was driving, Toph sat shotgun, and Aang and Katara were in the back with the bags. Katara had elected to sit in the back in a vain attempt to cheer Aang up. But he would hardly even speak to her.

Katara stopped trying after the first hour, resorting to staring at the scenery flashing by. They were out of the city and into the suburbs by evening. They hadn't been planning on leaving until the morning, so they didn't get very far before nightfall.

"Hey guys, we're stopping at that new motor hotel in the next town," Sokka shouted out the back window.

"Okay, thanks," Katara called back. They had now passed out of the suburbs and into the farmland that spread around the river valley. This particular road had been fixed up recently as it was included in Eisenhower's Interstate Highway System, so motor hotels were cropping up every ten miles or so. The one they were headed to was called the Full Moon Motel, but it was still a couple miles down the road.

Katara glanced at Aang. He had barely moved in the hours they'd been driving, arms folded over his chest and hat drawn down over his eyes. She was overtaken by a sudden urge to touch him, to lay a hand on his shoulder or his cheek, to pull him close, to feel his arms around her. She frowned, her cheeks turning slightly pink.

He must have felt her eyes on him, because he glanced over and leveled a hard gaze at her.

"What?" he asked flatly.

Katara sighed and looked away. "Nothing," she murmured.

"If something's bothering you, just tell me what it is," he continued firmly.

"I'm worried about you," she said quietly, staring at her hands.

"There's nothing to worry about," he replied carelessly. "I just want to get to Ba Sing Sei as soon as possible."

Katara nodded slowly, biting her lip. "Okay… that's good…" she sighed again.

Aang could tell she wasn't telling him everything, but he wasn't in the mood to talk. He glanced at her again and felt his stomach lurch guiltily. She was still staring at her hands, clenched together in her lap, cheeks a little pink and eyes downcast. He exhaled heavily and looked away, ignoring his twisting gut. Though he couldn't ignore how beautiful she looked like that.

Sokka parked his truck in front of their room at the Full Moon. The four of them would be sharing a room, so needless to say, Sokka planned on watching Aang and Katara like a hawk. But, Katara thought as she hopped out of the back of Sokka's truck and Aang walked past her without looking at her, Sokka had nothing to worry about.

They were just feet from the door of their room when it happened. Out of the room right next door to theirs, two familiar faces emerged. Aang glanced over at them and did a double take.

Two of the Rough Rhinos had elected to stay at the motel while the others went ahead. They both looked over and saw Aang at the same time. All six of them froze, staring at each other. Katara knew that the Rhinos were no threat to them. No, the real threat was standing right beside her.

"Aang," she whispered.

But it was too late. Aang was no longer standing beside her. It was the Avatar, eyes glowing white.

"Aang no!" Katara shouted, but the Avatar had already launched forward on a powerful gust of wind. Katara and Sokka had to shield their eyes from the surge of dust that was blown into the air. As Toph couldn't quite tell what was going on, Sokka took a protective step in front of her. By the time the dust had cleared, Aang had lifted both Rhinos off the ground by the collars of their shirts, hovering in a sphere of wind.

"Where is he?" he roared, his voice eerie and low with a thousand previous Avatars. "Where's Appa? Where did you take my dog?"

One of the Rhinos spoke up, his voice shrill with fear. "The boss took him to Ba Sing Sei," he stammered. "There's a guy there who collects dogs for shows, he'd pay through the nose for the Avatar's dog."

The Avatar didn't respond. The frenzy of wind just got wilder.

"What do we do?" Toph shouted, never having faced the Avatar State before.

Sokka shook his head. "Run," he called back, and the two of them turned and retreated toward the truck. Sokka paused and looked back for a moment. "Katara, come on!"

But Katara wasn't listening to him. She was already fighting her way forward through the cyclone. There was nothing else on her mind, her only thought was to get to him. She finally reached him and took a hold of his wrist to pull him down, but the Avatar instantly turned his burning gaze on her. A braver person than Katara would have quailed beneath the furious stare of the Avatar, but she just held on.

The Avatar unceremoniously dropped the two Rhinos, who scrambled to their feet and ran to their motorcycles as fast as their legs would carry them. Now all of this attention was on her, but she didn't falter. She closed her eyes and gave his wrist a tug, pulling him around to face her so she could take hold of his other hand. He finally looked away from her as he reached the ground, but she still saw the tears streaming from his glowing eyes.

"What's going on?" Toph called, curled up behind Sokka's truck.

Sokka chanced a careful look beneath the truck and sighed heavily. "It's okay," he replied. "Katara's got him."

Katara wrapped her arms around the Avatar's neck and pulled him close. It was reckless , but she didn't care. Her only thought was to get Aang back, and she didn't know how else to do it. So she just held him close and closed her eyes. It might have been minutes, it might have been seconds, but after some small amount of time she felt the wind slowing down, heard it dying out. She stepped away from him, looked up into his face, and saw the glowing had ceased. They stood looking at each other, both wide-eyed and taking shallow breaths. The dust settled around them. The parking lot fell silent. A few moments passed, and suddenly Aang closed his eyes and leaned into her, burying his face in her shoulder and letting out a sob.

Sokka and Toph looked over in surprise. Katara closed her eyes and let out a shuddering breath, holding him close and gracefully ignoring his tears soaking through the fabric of her shirt.

"Katara…" she heard him cry into her shoulder. The sound made her tremble and she pulled him closer, running one hand up the back of his neck and rubbing his back with the other. "He's all I have left…"

The young waterbender felt tears stinging her own eyes as he shook in her arms.

"Katara?" Sokka said quietly. She didn't turn to look at him.

"We'll be fine," she said quietly. "You can take the stuff into the room, I'll stay with him."

Sokka nodded and he and Toph unloaded the truck. Aang and Katara didn't move the entire time, excluding Katara's hand sliding through his hair in a soothing gesture. As soon as Sokka and Toph were done, leaving Katara and Aang alone outside the room, she started whispering.

"Shh, Aang…" she murmured. He let out another dry sob and she closed her eyes tightly. "Shhh… You still have me, okay?" His arms tightened around her waist and he nodded against her shoulder. "I'll always be right here, Sparky. Right beside you."

They stood in silence for some time, Katara hushing him while he pulled himself together. He stepped away from her suddenly, startling her. Without a moment's hesitation she reached forward, taking his face in her hands and brushing some tears from his cheeks.

"You alright?" she asked gently, peering up into his eyes.

He pulled the brim of his hat down and stepped back from her again, wiping his eyes roughly with his sleeve.

"I'm fine," he said darkly, turning away from her. "I just… need some time alone."

"Aang…" she said quietly, stepping toward him on impulse.

"Katara," he said firmly, shooting her a sharp look. She stopped in her tracks. "I'm fine. Just give me a minute, would you?"

She looked down quickly, not wanting him to see the tears in her eyes. "Okay, sure…" she murmured, turning away and entering the motel room without another word. Aang bit his lip, stomach churning guiltily again.

0000000

"There are only two beds."

"Thank you Sokka, we didn't hear you say that the first twelve thousand times."

Sokka glared at Toph. She didn't notice. Katara was sitting on one of said two beds in the sparse little motel room. She had already changed into her nightgown and let her hair down, leaning against the headboard with her knees drawn up to her chin. She hadn't said a word since entering the room nearly an hour ago except to tell the other two that Aang was having some alone time.

"Don't get so balled up, Snoozles," Toph continued, lying back on the floor with her hands folded behind her head. "If you're gonna be such a little girl about it, the real men can sleep on the floor." She chuckled to herself. "I'm talking about myself and Katara, by the way."

"I'll sleep on the floor," Katara said suddenly. Sokka and Toph looked at her. "So… Aang can have a bed."

"Don't be ridiculous," Sokka replied instantly. "Toph and I will sleep on the floor. No arguments."

Toph shrugged and made herself comfortable. She too had already changed into her nightgown, which was similar to Katara's but not quite as impressive. Sokka tossed her a blanket, which she tossed right back at him. He sighed and took his pajamas into the bathroom.

The room was silent for a while.

"Katara?" Toph finally asked.

"Hm?"

"You okay?"

Katara glanced over at her briefly. "I…" she began, voice muffled in her knees. She looked down. "Yes."

"…I can tell you're lying."

Katara didn't respond. Toph sighed.

"Okay, well… just thought I'd let you know Aang's outside the door."

She sat up a little. "What?"

"He's just been standing outside the door for like ten minutes," Toph said, shrugging.

It took barely a moment for Katara to reach the door. But when she reached it, she paused, hand hovering over the doorknob.

"Something wrong?" Toph asked.

Katara bit her lip and took a step back from the door, looking down at her bare feet.

"He… he didn't… want to talk to me," she murmured.

"Just open the stupid door, Sweetness," Toph sighed.

Katara scowled at her and pulled the door open. Sure enough, Aang was standing there, hand poised to open it himself.

"Oh," she said simply. She didn't expect him to be quite so close. "Um…"

"Sorry," he said flatly. She saw his cheeks turn a little pink upon realizing what she was wearing. For some reason, she blushed a bit as well. She hastily stepped aside, letting him into the room. He paused as he passed her, leaving the two of them standing back to back for a moment. Katara looked down and closed the door. Aang sighed and stepped further into the room.

"Would you two cut it out?" Toph grumbled. "I'm getting nauseous."

Katara just shook her head and retreated to her bed, settling back into the same position she was in before.

"The other bed is yours," she said quietly, just barely discernible through her knees.

Aang just nodded and took a seat on the empty bed. He glanced at Katara briefly. She was idly twisting a strand of her hair in her fingers, staring at her bare feet. Another guilty lurch of his stomach.

Sokka emerged from the bathroom in his pajamas. "Oh, Aang, you're back," he said simply.

"Yep," Aang replied dully.

"Well… bathroom's yours so you can change," Sokka said with a shrug, grabbing a pillow from Katara's bed and taking a seat on the floor beside Toph.

"Thanks," Aang said, grabbing his pajamas and shutting himself in the bathroom. Katara buried her face in her knees.

"Come on, Katara," Sokka said quietly, lying back on the floor. "He'll be fine in the morning."

Katara just sighed and slid under the covers. "Goodnight," she said quietly.

"Goodnight," Toph and Sokka both responded. Sokka switched off the light.

Aang came out of the bathroom shortly, only to find everyone sleeping. He sighed and sat down on the edge of his bed facing Katara's. Even in her sleep she looked sad. He did that to her. And she was there for him, she was the only one who came to help him in the Avatar State. She held on to him while he was crying, actually crying. He hadn't cried in more than a year. Not since he'd lost everything. Everything but Appa.

Before he realized what he was doing, he was kneeling beside Katara's bed and laying a hand on her warm cheek. She sighed, but didn't wake up.

He had lost everything. Everything but an old speakeasy and his dog. And just when he thought things were looking up, they took his dog too. Appa had been a gift from Gyatso, his mentor, his guardian, and for all intents and purposes, his father. Maybe it wasn't worth getting his hopes up in the end. Maybe when things were looking up, it was just a sign that something bad was about to happen.

Aang frowned and removed his hand from her cheek. He lied down on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Maybe hope was just a distraction. From now on, it was just him versus the Dragon Gang.

0000000

The next morning as they loaded the truck back up, another truck rolled into the parking lot, smoke billowing from the hood. Two people got out of the cab, a rather tall man who went straight to the hood and wrenched it open, allowing the smoke to escape in one giant greasy cloud, and an extremely pregnant woman. The woman placed a hand on her stomach and winced uncomfortable, leaning against the side of the smoking truck.

"Are you alright?" Katara asked her, abandoning the packing and prompting Toph to roll her eyes.

"Oh I'm fine, thank you," the woman replied, smiling.

"Hey, need some help?" Sokka added to the man as he leaned over the engine.

Toph rolled her eyes again. "You Riversiders are a bunch of do-gooders," she muttered, taking on the job of finishing with their luggage.

It only took a few minutes for Sokka to declare the truck totaled.

"That's no good," the man sighed, shaking his head.

"We have to get to the hospital in Ba Sing Sei," the woman added.

"We'll take you," Sokka said decisively.

The strangers stared at him, clearly surprised. Toph seemed equally so.

"Just like that?" she asked, shocked. "You're not going to demand proof that they're not Dragons?"

Sokka shrugged. "She's about to have a baby," he pointed out.

"Gee thanks, I had no idea," Toph muttered sarcastically, hopping into the back of Sokka's truck without another word.

So Katara helped the woman into the passenger seat, everyone else loaded into the back, Sokka took the wheel, and they were off again.

As they drove out of the town and back into the farmland, Katara, Toph, and Aang learned that the man's name was Than, and his wife Ying was dangerously close to her due date. But they were forced to flee to Ba Sing Sei because the Dragon Gang had raided a speakeasy near their home and destroyed the entire neighborhood in the process.

"That's awful," Katara said quietly.

Than smiled gratefully. "It's not all bad," he replied. "We still have hope."

Aang shook his head, but didn't say anything. Katara saw him and frowned a little.

"Aang?" she asked carefully.

He glanced at her very briefly. "Hope… hope is just a distraction," he muttered. "We're better off abandoning it."

Katara jerked back as though he had hit her. "Aang, what are you talking about?" she asked, incredulous.

Aang didn't look at her. "Hope isn't going to get us to Ba Sing Sei, and it isn't going to find Appa," he said darkly. "We just need to focus on what we're doing right now, and that's getting there in one piece."

Katara looked somberly at her feet. "Okay," she said quietly, shrugging. "If you say so…"

Toph scowled at Aang, but he didn't notice. Than just frowned and fell silent.

They drove all through the day, one straight road through fields and marshes for miles and miles. They passed through the occasional town, but it was mostly rural land between Omashu and Ba Sing Sei. Sokka finally pulled them off the road to another motor hotel well into the night. He figured if they got an early start, it would only be a half-day's drive to Ba Sing Sei.

Sokka and Toph set to work moving their bags into the room while Katara helped Ying out of the truck. Katara felt a little better after talking to Ying about her baby. She didn't know why, but she loved children. It was probably something to do with losing her mother when she was so young.

As Katara spoke to Ying, Aang walked past them and Katara paused midsentence, watching him. Ying smiled.

"That boy," Ying said quietly. "His name is Aang?"

"Yeah," Katara muttered, eyes still on him.

"Are the two of you a couple?"

Katara started in surprise. "What? No. What? Me and Aang?" she stammered hastily.

Ying just smiled. "Never mind, forget I mentioned it," she said lightly.

Katara blushed in embarrassment but didn't respond.

In the meantime, Sokka, Toph, Aang, and Than had finished taking their bags into their rooms. Sokka wandered back out to check on his truck. To his great surprise, someone leaning against the driver's side door.

"Suki?"

The pretty young bouncer from the Unagi turned and smiled at the sight of him. "I knew I recognized this truck," she said lightly.

The two of them met in a friendly embrace. She snuck a kiss on his cheek before pulling back.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked.

Sokka frowned. "Ah… well…"

The two of them sat down in the back of Sokka's truck and he spent the next few minutes relating the story of Aang's stolen dog.

She shook her head. "Dragons," she sighed spitefully. "They'll stop at nothing."

Sokka just nodded a little. "What about you? Why are you here?"

"A lot of people have been leaving Omashu for Ba Sing Sei," she sighed. "Can you believe it? Refugees in this day and age, from our own city." She shook her head again. "Well… business has been slowing down at the Unagi with Azula prowling the streets. So I took another job as a bodyguard of sorts."

"A bodyguard?"

Suki nodded. "Yep, I've been escorting people from Omashu to Ba Sing Sei," she replied. "But I seem to have lost my client."

Sokka couldn't keep a bit of a smirk from his face. "What?"

She scowled at him. "I was escorting a family to Ba Sing Sei and we stopped here last night," she explained impatiently. "But when I woke up, they were gone. Something must have scared them off."

Sokka frowned. "Ever heard of the Rough Rhinos?"

"They're Dragons, right?"

"Yeah, we sent them running yesterday evening," Sokka smiled a little. "Sorry."

Suki just shrugged. "They paid me in advance," she said with a grin.


	23. Chapter 23

_So here this finally is. I've been having trouble with this since the finale. After all, it was so EPIC that this seems rather small... But I shall continue regardless because I like it and hey, someone'll read it. BUT FIRST!_

http : / / queenofthecute. deviantart. com/ art/ Parlor-Tricks-Avatar-AU-81573682

_Remove the spaces and check it out, it's pretty pretty beautiful amazing astounding Parlor Tricks fanart by the talented QueenoftheCute. And on that note I now have a livejournal on which I ramble on about Avatar and my upcoming fanfiction, so look me up and say hey. I'm lyralocke on there too so... yeah. lyralocke. livejournal. com should do the trick (without the spaces)._

_BUT ANYWAY._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar_

* * *

CHAPTER 23

"Couldn't sleep, huh?"

Sokka started in surprise. He was sitting on the hood of his truck, staring up at the clear night sky. It was shortly past midnight, and he didn't think anyone else was still awake until he saw Suki wandering in his direction.

"Oh," Sokka muttered. "No, I couldn't."

She hopped onto the truck and sat beside him without waiting for an invitation, leaning back against the windshield.

"What happened?" she asked bluntly after several minutes in companionable silence.

"What do you mean?" Sokka asked distractedly, eyes on the moon.

"Something has changed between now and the last time I saw you," she said simply.

Sokka sighed heavily. "I lost someone," he said vaguely. "I couldn't save her, and I never got a chance to tell her how I felt."

Suki was visibly shocked. Sure, the two of them had never been exclusive, but knowing he had cared so much for someone left her a little shaken up.

"Sorry," Sokka said suddenly, sliding off the truck. "I think I'm tired enough to sleep now."

She just nodded and they both headed to their rooms. When Sokka lied down on the floor beside Toph, he didn't notice Aang and Katara's beds were empty.

Outside, Aang had wandered away from the parking lot and was standing in the middle of the deserted road, wearing nothing but his pajamas and his hat, gazing up at the sky.

"Aang?"

He glanced over, somehow not surprised to see Katara standing on the side of the road. She had her trench coat on, but she hadn't bothered to button it up, revealing her to be in her nightgown.

"Can't sleep?" she asked him, remaining on the side of the road. It stung him a little that she didn't come any closer, but he reminded himself that it was better that way.

"How could you tell?" he asked distantly.

"You're awake," she replied, frowning.

"Oh. Right."

They stood in silence for a while. He looked away from her, returning his gaze to the sky. He could almost feel the torrent of things she wanted to say to him building up within her. Her silence was deafening.

He saw her moving in his peripheral vision and thought she was leaving, but she was just shifting her weight. He glanced at her and she looked up at him, scowling.

"I'm not that girl," she said suddenly. He stared at her. "I'm not the girl that just backs off when a guy gets angry. I'm strong. I'm a fighter. I'm a master waterbender, and I'm the best rumrunner in the city. I'm not that girl." He didn't know what to say. She just looked at her bare feet, laughing bitterly. "And yet here I am, standing on the side of the street because I'm worried you'll just brush me off if I get any closer." Her voice was gaining in volume. "And you know what? It's kind of cold out here. And I'm in my stupid nightgown, barefoot on this annoying gravel. I could be in the room, asleep in a comfortable bed, but I'm out here with you." She laughed again, sounding a tad hysterical as she threw her arms in the air, exasperated. "And I'm not even with you! I'm standing on the side of the goddamn street!"

Aang exhaled heavily, trying to keep his composure. She was doing this on purpose. She wasn't losing her temper at all, she was just trying to get a reaction out of him. He didn't understand how she could already know him so well.

"It's okay to miss him, you know."

He looked up at her so fast he hurt his neck. She was changing tactics, she knew her first try wasn't working. She wasn't scowling or laughing or shouting. She was just watching him. He looked away.

"I got so angry back there, last night," he said lowly. "I've never been angry like that before. It made me into something I don't want to be."

"That doesn't mean you can just stop feeling," she said earnestly. He saw her shiver and cross her arms over her chest for warmth. He wanted to step toward her, to wrap her in his arms and keep her warm. He clenched his fists at his sides and looked away from her again.

"Everyone is better off if I do," he muttered.

"I'm not," she said instantly. He glanced up at her in surprise. "You think I'm better off over here? I'm cold. I want to be over there, with you, because the Aang I know would keep me warm."

He stared at her. She stared right back. She got to him so easily.

"Promise me you won't stop caring," she said quietly. He looked down. She shifted on the spot like she was going to move toward him, but she stopped herself. "Promise me."

He sighed a little. "Katara…"

"Do you need a hug?" she asked, a touch of desperation creeping into her voice that she would never admit to in a million years. "Sounds like there's a lot of emotional toothpaste that needs to be squeezed out."

He wavered when she used the phrase 'emotional toothpaste' in a completely coherent sentence, but he didn't break. Instead, he bowed his head respectfully.

"Thank you for your concern," he said stiffly. He started toward the motel, trying to avoid looking at her, but he couldn't miss the completely devastated look on her face as he passed her.

He lied awake in bed for nearly an hour, growing more and more worried until she finally returned to the room. She knew he was still awake, he could tell, but she didn't say a word as she got into bed and swiftly fell asleep. Aang didn't sleep the rest of the night.

It didn't make much different anyway, because everyone else was woken at sunrise by someone screaming.

Aang jumped in surprise and fell out of bed. Katara sat up suddenly, cursing loudly.

"What the hell with the screaming?" she shouted, supremely disgruntled.

Sokka was already on his feet with his gun out, pointing at the wall.

"Oh shut up, all of you," Toph grumbled from the floor.

Another scream. Katara froze.

"That's Ying," she said under her breath, the words barely out of her mouth before she was out the door

"Katara, wait," Sokka called, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and following her.

Aang appeared over the side of the bed and looked down at Toph. "You going?" he asked.

Toph shrugged. "Thinking about it."

The two of them got up shortly and followed, but they were instantly shooed out of Than and Ying's room with Sokka, because Katara and Suki were busy delivering Ying's baby.

Aang, sitting on the ground and leaning against the wall outside the door, noticed Sokka looked rather pale and remarked on it.

"I might have fainted a little bit when I got in the room," he muttered. Toph burst out laughing.

Nearly an hour later, the door flew open and Than came bursting out of the room. He turned to them, beaming.

"I'm a father!" he said excitedly, grabbing Sokka by the shoulders and shaking him. "I have a daughter, I'm a dad!"

"Congrats," Sokka said uncomfortably. He and Toph were persuaded to enter the room. Aang didn't move. It was several long minutes before the door opened again.

A gentle hand on his shoulder. A familiar warmth beside him. A quiet voice speaking in his ear, "Aang, you have to come in and see this."

He walked into the room and froze. Ying was lying on the bed with a messy little bundle in her arms, Than standing beside her with his hands on her shoulders, leaning over the tiny ball of blankets.

"It looks so… squishy," Sokka said faintly.

Toph smirked at him. "You okay there, Snoozles? Or are you going to faint like an old woman again?"

Sokka ignored her. Katara rolled her eyes. But Aang didn't even hear her. His eyes were focused on the tiny little face peeking out of the blankets.

"What should we name her?" Than asked quietly.

Ying just smiled gently, eyes never leaving her daughter. "I want to name her something special."

"Aang?" Katara whispered, and he jumped a little, having forgotten she was so close beside him. "Are you okay?"

He smiled at her and she blinked in surprise. It took him a moment to realize that everyone was looking at him.

"I've been having a rough time lately," he said quietly. "But seeing this family together…" He smiled again, and Katara positively beamed. "It's given me hope."

Than and Ying looked at each other and smiled. "That's what we'll call her," Ying said quietly. "Hope."

Katara was a little surprised when Aang tugged on her hand. "Can I talk to you outside for a minute?"

She nodded and followed him. They were alone in the parking lot as he turned to face her.

"I'm sorry," he said firmly.

"Aang you don't have to-" Katara began instantly, but Aang just shook his head and she stopped.

"I thought I was being strong," he sighed. "But I was just running away from my feelings. I'm sorry for making you 'that girl' that you hate so much."

She smiled softly and he felt himself grinning a little.

"But seeing this happy family together reminded me of how I feel about Appa," he said, looking down. He took a deep breath and glanced up, smiling a little shyly. "And how I feel about you."

Katara gazed at him for a moment before wiping her eyes with her sleeve. Aang was about to ask her what was wrong when she threw her arms around his neck in a fierce embrace. He just grinned and wrapped his arms around her.

"Thanks a lot, Sparky," Katara muttered into his shoulder. "You've gone and made me cry."

"What?" he said abruptly, pulling back and holding her at arm's length. She wiped her eyes again. "No no, don't cry!" She laughed a little in the face of his panic. "I'm so sorry, I promised I wouldn't ever make you cry."

Her hand found the back of his neck as she pulled herself against him in a long, gentle embrace. He felt her fingers sliding up into his hair, just like two nights ago when he had lost control of the Avatar State. She inhaled deeply and sighed, her breath warm against his neck.

"I don't think tears of happiness count," she whispered.

He relaxed and settled his hands on her waist, pulling her a little closer.

"I'm glad you're happy," he murmured.

"It's because of you, you know," she sighed. He felt her shift in his embrace. "The next time you decide you'd be better off not feeling anything… just remember how happy you make me."

Aang was speechless. Katara snuggled a little closer to Aang's shoulder and he blushed. He felt like he was in that closet again. Something had changed between them. He took a deep breath.

"Katara…" he began quietly. She pulled away from him and moved to wipe her eyes again, but he beat her to it and brushed her tears from her cheeks with his thumbs. She stared at him, and he could tell she was startled by the blush creeping across her cheekbones. She smiled a little, confused.

"Yes, Aang?" she asked quietly.

He looked at his shoes and took another breath. "There's something I-"

"Hey guys, it's time to pack up," Sokka called as he walked out of Than and Ying's room, followed by Toph and Suki.

Aang and Katara both glanced over, startled. Aang sighed.

"Okay, we'll be there in a second," Katara called back. She turned to look at Aang again, biting her lip. "What were you saying?"

He shook his head. "Ah… it's nothing," he said, forcing himself to sound cheerful. "I'll tell you later…"

Katara didn't believe him, but she smiled regardless. "Okay, sure," she said lightly, nodding. He was about to walk back to their room, but he stopped when he felt her hand slip into his. He turned and looked at her in surprise.

"Hey," she said, smiling a little shyly. "I'm glad you're back."

He grinned. "Thanks."

It didn't take them long to finish packing, and then they would be on their way again. Katara helped Ying back into the passenger seat, Hope bundled carefully in her arms. Everyone else got into the back, but Sokka held back a moment to speak to Suki.

"You'll get back home okay?" he asked her quietly.

Suki smiled at him. "Of course, don't worry about me," she replied lightly. Then she looked down. "Look, Sokka, I'm sorry about… the girl you lost."

"Yue," Sokka said instantly. Suki looked up at him. "She was the Chief's daughter, at the Northern Distillery."

"You mean Arnook?"

"Yeah. I loved her."

Suki looked down again, letting out a shuddering breath. "Why are you telling me this?" she asked miserably. "You know how I feel about you."

Sokka smiled and took hold of her chin, tilting her head up to look at him. She wrenched his hand away so she wouldn't have to hold eye contact, but he just took her face in his hands instead.

"I'm telling you so there won't be any secrets between us," he replied firmly. "I don't want you to always be wondering about her." Her eyes widened a little. "Any more questions?"

She shook her head silently, eyes fixed on his. He let out a snort of laughter.

"You talk too much," he murmured teasingly, leaning forward and pressing his mouth to hers in an ardent kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and responded eagerly. When he pulled away, it was with a smile on his face.

"I'll see you back in the city," he said quietly.

"Deal," she replied, smiling.

0000000

They reached the Ba Sing Sei hospital at noon and bid farewell to Than, Ying, and Hope. It took them another half an hour to reach the center of town. There was an old boarding house near City Hall that was owned by a friend and fellow Riversider, a middle-aged woman named Billie who moonlighted as a singer at the jazz club across the street. Billie had been a friend of Katara's mother, and she always let them stay for free.

Sokka opened the front door and stepped aside to allow everyone into the front hallway.

"Billie?" he called. "Billie, where are you?"

"Sokka?" a voice called from somewhere within the narrow building.

"Yeah Billie, it's us!"

From a door at the end of the hallway appeared Billie. She looked rather like Katara, Aang thought. The same skin tone and hair color, blue eyes, but darker. She was slimmer in build as well, and tired looking. She looked worn, haggard, but still uniquely beautiful.

Katara raced forward immediately and Billie wrapped her in a hug. Aang watched sadly. This woman, Billie, who Katara only saw once a year, was one of her last connections to her mother.

"Katara, you've grown up so much," Billie said, a smile in her voice. "You look so like your mother."

"I've missed you," Katara murmured.

Billie glanced up and waved at Sokka.

"You get over here too, young man," she said firmly. Sokka rolled his eyes but joined in the hug regardless.

Billie then caught sight of Aang and Toph over Sokka's shoulder. "Now who might these fresh faces be?" she asked with a smile.

"I'm Aang," Aang offered after a moment. "And this is Toph."

"Hey," Toph said carelessly.

"We're uh…" Aang began hesitantly.

"Rumrunners," Toph picked up for him. "Living at the Distillery."

"Right, yeah," Aang added. "We um… help Hakoda's Kids."

Sokka laughed. "It's okay, we can trust her," he said, shaking his head.

Aang sighed in relief. "Oh good, I'm the Avatar," he said, smiling. He gestured toward Toph. "She's my earthbending teacher."

"Hey," Toph said again with another careless wave.

"The Avatar?" Billie repeated, eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

"It's true," Katara said, smiling warmly at Aang. He blushed a little and looked down, grinning. "I'm his waterbending teacher."

"Oh, is that all?" Billie asked, smirking.

Katara rolled her eyes, but she couldn't stop herself from blushing. "No, he's my best friend," she laughed a little.

"Okay, so _that's_ all," Billie continued doubtfully. Toph laughed.

"Fine, sure, I haven't seen a year and all you do is make fun of me," Katara sighed dramatically.

"Alright alright, I'm done," the older woman replied, hugging her again. "So it's your week, huh?"

"Yes it is," Sokka replied loudly, grinning.

"But we're not just here to relax this time," Katara added quietly. Aang shifted his weight. Katara didn't look at him. "Something was stolen from Aang."

"We're here to get it back," Aang said darkly.

Billie frowned. "Dragons?"

They all nodded. She sighed.

"How bad is it down there?" she asked lowly.

Katara and Sokka both looked at their feet, neither saying a word. Toph glanced away. Aang sighed and cast a look at the ceiling.

"That bad, huh?" Billie sighed. She patted Sokka on the shoulder. "Well, things aren't so great here either." She gestured for them to follow her up the narrow staircase to the second floor and continued up to the third.

"What do you mean?" Sokka asked, concerned.

"It's the Prohibition Officers," Billie muttered. "The Commissioner has them on the prowl. The whole city is on edge. Nobody can so much as mention the Dragon Gang or the Riversiders without getting arrested." Sokka and Katara seemed significantly surprised by this news. "Rumrunners are disappearing left and right. You can't trust anyone anymore."

They reached the last two rooms on the top floor. Billie handed Sokka a brass skeleton key and passed another to Katara. She placed a comforting hand on Aang's shoulder.

"Whatever you're looking for, it may be hard to find," she said quietly. "But I'll get you all the help I can."

Aang smiled at her. "Thanks," was all he could think to say.

"Okay, you kids get some rest, it's been a long drive," Billie said quickly, waving a hand in the air as she walked past them. "I'll be at the Chatter House all night, so I'll see you in the morning." She waved a last time and disappeared down the stairs.

"What's the Chatter House?" Aang asked as Sokka unlocked one of the doors and threw his bags into the room.

"Jazz club across the street," Katara answered lightly, unlocking the other door. Toph strode into the room without preamble and crashed on one of the beds. "Billie's been singing there for years."

"Can we go see her perform?" Aang asked from inside his and Sokka's room while he stowed his bags.

Katara grinned. He was getting back to the Aang she knew. "Sure, it'll be copacetic."


	24. Chapter 24

_DAHA!! At last, I punched my writer's block in the face long enough to finish this chapter! AHAHAH!! I feel so accomplished!! ...Sad, isn't it? Anyway, I'm so so so sorry this took so long. I promise (hope) this will never happen again._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar_

* * *

CHAPTER 24

"Aang?"

Aang turned around in surprise. He was sitting on the front steps of the boarding house, watching the cars roll by. Katara sat beside him.

"Hey," he said simply.

She smiled a little. "So what do you think?" she asked quietly.

He glanced at her. "Of what?"

Katara leaned back on her elbows and looked around. "Oh, you know, the boarding house, the city, Billie, all of it."

Aang loosened his tie and leaned back beside her. "The city is… well I haven't really formed an opinion yet," he admitted. "I haven't seen too much of it yet."

"Understandable," Katara said reasonably, nodding. "That'll change in the next few days. Go on."

"The boarding house is good," he said with a grin. "It feels like… home, I guess."

"I've always thought that too."

"And Billie…" he trailed off. "She reminds me of you."

Katara looked at him, smiling in a perplexed sort of way. "How so?"

Aang shrugged. "I don't know. There's just something about her," he replied, sounding just as perplexed. "Is she a waterbender?"

Katara shook her head. "Neither was…" she stopped abruptly.

Aang looked down. "Your mother?" he suggested quietly.

Katara took a deep breath a closed her eyes. "Kaya," she said at length. Aang glanced at her in surprise. Katara was staring blankly across the street. "Her name was Kaya."

"Kaya," Aang repeated. "Pretty name."

She nodded. "She was beautiful," she continued. "She taught me everything I know."

"Except waterbending?" Aang asked quietly, smiling. To his relief, Katara smiled back.

"Except waterbending," she confirmed. "She taught me to cook and sew, she taught me to dance. She taught me to keep Sokka in his place." Aang laughed a little and her smile softened. "She taught me that trick to finding the right fitting clothes."

"Good trick," Aang grinned.

"Yeah, it is," Katara murmured. "And she loved laughing. She laughed all the time. It was… infectious. I'll never forget her laugh."

"Gyatso liked laughing too," Aang said lightly after a pause. Katara glanced at him. He was smiling a little sadly. "He played tricks on me all the time. He said it was to keep me on my toes, but I just think he liked laughing. You know… at me."

Katara laughed again, naturally, musically, and Aang felt as though he was sinking into a hot bath.

"That explains where you get it from," she said warmly.

"You think… you think I'm like him?" he asked quietly without thinking about it.

"Well Sparky, I didn't really know him," Katara sighed. "But if he's anything like you and my father say he is, then I'd say you're just like him." Aang looked down. "Do you want to be?"

Aang nodded. "Yeah, he was a great man," he said simply. "And I know it doesn't mean a lot coming from me, but from what I've heard, you're just like her."

Katara was silent for a while. Aang didn't push her.

"It does mean a lot," she whispered at length. He looked at her. She was blushing a little, gazing across the street again. "Coming from you."

Aang beamed at her. She laughed again. "Oh your laugh, Dollface," he sighed, leaning back a little more on the stairs. "That laugh of yours could melt a glacier."

Katara smiled at him. "You're really something, Sparky," she murmured.

Aang shrugged, blushing. "You too, Dollface."

0000000

"Ba Sing Sei, hm?"

Suki turned in surprise. She was at a gas station halfway between Ba Sing Sei and home filling up her truck. She hadn't paid much attention to the car pulling in after her. She would have been better off if she had.

"Azula," she said coldly.

"You know me, how quaint," Azula replied airily, smirking. "I hope you won't be offended, but all I know of you is that you know the Avatar."

"Perhaps," Suki shrugged. She rested her hands on her hips near her guns. The gesture wasn't lost on Azula.

"Go ahead, urchin," she goaded. "You're outnumbered."

That was when Suki noticed Mai and Ty Lee. The girls had practically materialized out of thin air. Suki scowled. This wasn't going well.

0000000

"Here we are! The great city of Ba Sing Sei!"

Zuko frowned at his uncle. "What's so great about it? We come here at least once a year," he pointed out sourly.

"It's great as in large," Iroh replied wisely. "Much more ground for our insane relatives to cover if they want to find us."

Zuko paused and looked around. The city spread out before them from the ferry boat docks, loud and bustling in the sunset.

"True," he obliged at length.

"Insane relatives? Man, even after all that time on that tiny boat, you guys are still a mystery."

Zuko and Iroh turned. "Oh, hey Jet," Zuko greeted the young man simply.

Jet and his two companions, Smellerbee and Longshot, were travelling rumrunners and bouncers for hire. At least that was what they had told Iroh and Zuko. The firebenders could easily tell this was a front and the three of them were con artists, but they chose not to comment on it. After all, it was a long boat ride. No need to make more enemies.

"So where are you young folks headed?" Iroh asked.

Jet crushed his smoldering cigarette beneath his heel and looked around. "Downtown," he said at length, lighting up another cigarette and offering one to Zuko, which he took without hesitation. Iroh frowned at him. "There's a boarding house there, tiny little place. A girl I knew used to hang out there. If I'm lucky, we'll cross paths."

Smellerbee rolled her eyes. "Jet, she told you she never wanted to see you again," she pointed out in an exasperated deadpan. "I seem to recall a few threats of serious injury too."

Jet waved her off. "Girls always say stuff like that."

"Yeah, and they mean it," she snapped.

"Well uh… good luck with that," Zuko stated uncomfortably. "Thanks for the cigarette."

Zuko and Iroh turned and walked into the city. Jet spat out his new cigarette in surprise.

"Firebender," he hissed. Smellerbee and Longshot stared at him. He pointed at Zuko. "His cigarette is lit. I didn't give him my lighter."

"So what, he probably has his own," Smellerbee sighed. "Come on, Jet, don't do this again."

"He doesn't carry a lighter, he told me when we were on the boat and I'd dropped mine," Jet snapped. "Those guys are firebenders, probably Dragons."

"You don't know that."

"No," Jet replied darkly. "But I'm going to find out."

0000000

"This isn't good."

Katara smiled a little. Aang was frowning at his nearly untouched glass of alcohol.

"It's not Riversider," Sokka pointed out smugly.

"I suppose not," Aang sighed. "But the music's kicking."

"That's the sound of Billie and the Glass," Katara hummed, leaning back in her chair and letting the atmosphere soak in. The Chatter House was a small place, dark and smoky with walls painted deep red and wood floors that squeaked underfoot. A single spotlight shone on the band at one end of the room, Billie standing before them with both hands on the microphone. The place was crowded with wrought iron café tables and mismatched chairs that scraped the floor when shifted. The bar was hidden in a side room in case the Prohibition Officers showed up.

"The Glass?" Toph asked lazily, filthy feet on the table.

"Her band. Smooth river water," Sokka sighed contentedly. "Looks like liquid glass."

"Liquid glass," she repeated quietly. "Sounds nice…"

Katara suddenly felt goose bumps rising on her arms. Someone was in her space, just outside her peripheral vision. She glanced over and her wide eyes settled on Aang. He was leaning sideways in his chair, eyes closed in relaxation. His chair was a little behind and to the side of hers, so his nose and lips were hovering near the side of her neck. He took a deep breath and sighed a little. She knew he had just breathed in the smell of her, but he didn't seem to notice how close they were. Katara exhaled slowly and turned her eyes back to the music.

"Party's over, kids."

The doors burst open behind them. There was instantly a loud scraping of chairs as everyone ducked out of the way. The band immediately stopped playing. Behind them, a group of tall men in dark green suits wearing odd-looking gloves came pouring into the smoky little room.

"Prohibition Officers," Sokka hissed. "Watch out for their gloves."

"What?" Aang asked, confused.

Katara grabbed him by his tie and pulled him under the table. Something clanged on the surface above them.

"What was that?" he whispered.

"Earthbenders," Katara murmured. "Those gloves they're wearing are made of stone, they use them as weapons. They can cuff you in those before you even know they're there."

"You sound like you have experience," Aang asked, smirking. The smile slide from his face when the table buckled under another round of stone.

"We have to move," Sokka's voice hissed from somewhere nearby. Katara, still with a firm hold on Aang's tie, dragged him out from under cover and started running at a crouch, dragging the young Avatar behind her. Aang wasn't sure how it happened, but suddenly he was tasting fresh air and they were racing across the street to the safety of the boarding house. Sokka had Toph firmly by the hand. She could see just fine, but she wasn't complaining.

The four of them didn't stop until they reached the hallway outside their rooms on the top floor. Sokka bent over, panting. They could still hear the ruckus down below.

"That was close," Katara said quietly.

Suddenly, the door opened and closed far below them.

"Katara? Sokka? You kids make it out okay?" Billie's voice called up to them.

"We're fine, Billie," Katara replied. "We'll see you in the morning."

"Good, see you then."

Sokka opened the door to the boys' room. "Come on, everyone in," he said quietly. Toph crashed casually to the floor as soon as she was through the door, folding her hands behind her head. Sokka locked the door behind them as Aang and Katara sat down on Aang's bed.

"What just happened?" Aang asked darkly.

"Prohibition Officers," Sokka replied tiredly, drawing the curtains despite their room being a few floors up.

"There aren't any Dragons in Ba Sing Sei," Katara continued for him. "As far as the city is concerned, there aren't any Dragons at all."

"What do you mean?" Toph asked.

"The Prohibition Officers are basically a secret police," Sokka sighed. "They keep news of our problems quiet so this city seems perfect and contained. Even with all the refugees coming here from back home, the Officers make sure nobody talks about the war out in the open."

"This place is weird," Toph said definitively.

"They don't exactly like rumrunners either," Katara added with a grin. "No use pretending Hakoda's Kids aren't on their list."

"So what, is everyone in the world out to get you two?" Toph snorted.

"Pretty much," Sokka shrugged.

"It sure is an adventure living with you guys," Aang smiled.

Katara smirked at him. "Same to you, Avatar."

"Touché."

"Okay, let's all get some sleep," Sokka said slowly. He unlocked the door. "See you girls in the morning for breakfast."

"Then we can start looking for Appa?" Aang asked, stretching out on his bed while Toph and Katara got to their feet.

"First thing," Sokka confirmed seriously.

"Good night, boys," Katara said with a tired smile.

"Good night, Katara," Aang said under his breath as Sokka closed the door behind her.

0000000

"Jet, can we please find a place to stay the night?" Smellerbee asked for what felt like the hundredth time. "It's getting cold out here and there are Officers all over the place."

Jet didn't respond. He just glared over the alley into the window of the little apartment Iroh and Zuko had just rented.

Smellerbee glanced at Longshot. He didn't say anything, but after a few moments, she nodded.

"Longshot and I are going to go find an apartment, okay?" she said carefully. "We'll find you later."

Jet still didn't respond. Smellerbee shook her head and she and her silent companion left the rooftop. Jet remained perched on the edge, staring through the window below.

0000000

Katara jumped when she felt a pair of hands on her hips. She quickly turned her head, only to find Aang behind her.

"Oh, Aang," she sighed in relief, pausing in the middle of washing a sink full of dishes and placing a hand over her racing heart. "You scared me."

"I'm not scaring you now?" he asked quietly, a smile in his voice. His hands remained firmly on her hips and he leaned into her. Her eyes widened in confusion, but it was nothing to her shock when she felt his lips on her neck.

She jumped again and placed her hands over his, but didn't move them. He was kissing her neck. Aang was kissing her neck.

"What are you doing?" she asked, too stunned to offer up any more resistance.

"What you've been waiting for me to do," he murmured against her skin. She shivered, eyes wide. "Don't deny it, Katara."

"I… I'm not…" she began warily, eyes sliding shut when he kissed her again. "But… uh…"

"Do you want me to go?" he whispered, hands still warm on her hips as he pulled her back against him.

"No…" she sighed, biting her lip and closing her hands over his. "Don't… don't go…"

"You sound scared."

"I am, a little…" She inhaled sharply when he kissed her again and briefly felt his tongue against her skin.

"Why?" he murmured, one of his hands sliding up under her shirt and resting on the bare skin of her stomach.

"You've never… been like this before," she whispered, feeling as though she was entirely under his control and not minding in the least.

"You can't blame me," he reasoned, inhaling the scent of her hair. "You're beautiful…"

"Aang…"

He turned her around suddenly, pinning her to the counter, and she found herself nose-to-nose with him. His eyes… Aang's clear grey eyes had darkened with desire. Her breath abruptly left her.

"You've gone and stolen my heart," he said lowly.

She paused, swallowed hard, and hesitantly placed her hands on his shoulders. She felt herself growing warm, blushing from head to toe. He was so close… it was making her dizzy. And she noticed he was getting closer. No, wait… she was getting closer. His lips were nearly on hers, his hot breath invading every thought. She couldn't focus, couldn't concentrate on anything but how badly she wanted to…

"Katara? You awake?"

Katara woke up abruptly and rolled off of her bed with a shriek of surprise. She sat up in a tangle of sheets, eyes wide and breathing hard. She jumped when she felt a warm hand on her shoulder and almost shrieked again when she looked up and found Aang crouched in front of her in his pajamas.

"You okay?" he asked, worried. "I guess I woke you, sorry."

"I'm fine," she said hastily, blushing. "Don't… don't worry about it…"

Aang didn't look convinced. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, great," she muttered. She looked away from him, still burning red. Toph's bed was empty. It was just the two of them. "What were you doing in our room, anyway?"

"Sokka asked me to check on you," Aang replied, shrugging. "It's almost ten, you never sleep this late."

Katara nodded absently, diligently avoiding looking at him. "Just… dreaming…" she muttered.

He smiled, confused.

"Okay, uh… sorry, again," he said lightly, leaving the room.

Katara exhaled heavily and lifted a hand to her forehead, staring blankly at the wall.

"Holy shit…" she muttered.


	25. Chapter 25

_See? Things are getting better! This one didn't take me nearly as long! HURRAH._

_So anyway._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar_

* * *

CHAPTER 25

"…Katara?"

"Dah!" Katara shrieked in surprise, clapping a hand over her mouth. She had just come down stairs and she was still a little jumpy.

Aang frowned. "Um… you okay?" he asked warily.

Katara laughed nervously, blushing. "Oh sure, fine," she giggled, edging away from him.

"Katara, what the hell is wrong with you?" Sokka asked tonelessly. "You never sleep this late."

"I was just um… having a dream," she muttered.

"What kind of dream?" Aang asked curiously.

"Good dream," she said instantly, smiling lazily. "Um I mean uh… just a weird… dream…"

"I have news," Toph said loudly as she walked into the boarding house.

"Oh good," Katara said in a rush, glad for the distraction.

"I was just checking out the Chatter House and I heard a couple people talking about a big to-do tonight," the young earthbender responded, sitting down on the stairs next to Sokka. "There's some fancy party going on at a mansion in uptown."

Aang and Sokka stared at her. "So?" Sokka growled. He didn't like fancy parties.

"So, the mansion in uptown is owned by a rich dog collector," Toph replied.

Aang became very still and quiet. Katara looked at her feet.

"We have to get into that party," Sokka said thoughtfully. "But how?"

Toph snorted. "I'm a Bei Fong, remember?" she pointed to herself. "I can get you guys in." She frowned. "But we all have to look the part."

Aang grinned. "Does that mean we get to go clothes shopping?" he asked.

"Could you be a little more of a woman, Airhead?" Toph rolled her eyes.

Sokka shook his head. "Katara has this dumb way of trying on clothes that Aang seems to enjoy a little too much," he muttered.

Aang and Katara glanced at each other, blushed, and looked away.

"Whatever, let's go find a good shop," Toph declared, getting to her feet and leading them all out into the city.

0000000

"Zuko, sit down, relax," Iroh said contentedly, taking a long drink from his steaming tea cup.

Zuko frowned. He was leaning against the wall next to his uncle, who was sitting at a small table in a tiny shop downtown.

"I don't want to sit," Zuko replied grumpily. "I don't like this city."

"Are you kidding? This city is great!" Iroh exclaimed. "Can you believe they have a tea shop? We don't have tea like this back home."

"How very kind of you to say so," the shop owner said with a grin as he walked by the table with a tray of teapots.

"See? We're already making friends all over the place," Iroh pointed out.

Zuko scowled.

Outside the shop, Jet folded his arms over his chest and leaned against the storefront across the street. He would wait as long as he had to.

0000000

"What are they doing?" Toph asked blankly, tapping her foot on the ground to make sure she wasn't seeing things.

"Dancing," Sokka sighed, bored.

Katara and Aang were, indeed, waltzing around the small clothing store they had found half an hour earlier. The store's owner was standing beside Sokka and Toph by the counter, watching with an amused grin.

"Do they always do this?" she asked.

"Yep," Sokka sighed again. "It's how she checks if things fit."

"Stupid," Toph muttered.

"Clever," the shop owner replied. Sokka sighed a third time.

"What do you think?" Katara asked with a smile. She found that being this close to him somehow made her less nervous.

"I think I like it," Aang replied, shooting her a charming grin. He spun her under his arm and paused. "Oh wait… that was a little uncomfortable."

"Okay, let's try another one," Katara shrugged.

"What about you? How's the dress?" Aang asked, eyes travelling from her eyes to her feet and back up again. It was a rather simple dress, blue, as was her custom. The skirt hung past her knees and the v-neck dipped a little too low for Aang's comfort, which wasn't very low but still enough to make him nervous.

"Oh, it fits," she said lightly, glancing down at herself. "I'm just not really the dress type." When on the job, Katara wore a suit just like the rest of the gangsters so her clothes wouldn't get in the way of the delivery. Hanging around the distillery she usually wore a skirt like the rest of the girls her age. But Aang had never seen her in a dress.

"You look beautiful," he said officiously, not showing a trace of embarrassment. Katara, on the other hand, blushed and grinned demurely.

"Need another suit?" the shopkeeper asked from the back of the shop. The two of them looked over in surprise. Katara dropped Aang's hands.

"Yeah," she said, nodding. "I think we're getting close."

"I agree," Aang added, smirking. Katara flushed again.

Sokka sighed heavily.

0000000

"How the hell did this happen?" Zuko groaned, head in his hands.

"What?" Iroh asked indignantly as he tied an apron around his stomach.

"You got a job at this tiny tea shop," Zuko snapped. "Just because you've been here for three hours and you kept complimenting the tea."

"It's a small market," Iroh shrugged. "There aren't a lot of talented tea brewers left with all these moonshine brewers around."

Zuko's head dropped onto the table. "I can't believe this."

Outside, Jet was nodding off. He had slumped to the ground hours ago, bored.

0000000

"I'm uncomfortable," Sokka grumbled as the four of them walked down the street in their nice new clothes. It was just past sunset and the weather was good, so they elected to walk to uptown instead of drive.

"With what, the clothes or our cover story?" Katara asked, rolling her eyes.

"Both," he muttered.

They had decided that Toph was their ticket in. She was a Bei Fong after all, so she would be the leading lady. Katara would be her good friend, daughter of a wealthy police commissioner from the south. Aang and Sokka were playing the parts of their bodyguards. Toph declared that Sokka would be hers.

"Why?" Sokka had asked distractedly, tugging at the sleeves of his new suit.

"I'm a Bei Fong," Toph said definitively. "I get the taller guy. Nobody would believe it the other way around."

And that had been the end of the discussion.

"Well… I guess it's good my suit matches your dress," Aang offered at length. Katara smiled.

So Katara and Toph walked into the manor side-by-side, Aang at Katara's shoulder and Sokka at Toph's. Through some coincidence that was perhaps not a coincidence at all, Aang's tie and the pinstripes on his dark suit perfectly matched the color of Katara's dress. She'd even pressed him into buying a new hat just for the occasion. His hat was too recognizable, and besides, the new one fit him better.

A butler greeted them at the door.

"Welcome," he said lightly, bowing. "May I have your names?"

"I am Sai Bei Fong," Toph said loudly. "This is my good friend Kaya Dao." Katara smiled. "This is my escort, Lee." Sokka nodded. "And Kaya's escort, Kuzon." Aang waved. Toph removed her trench coat and handed it to the man without preamble. "You can take our coats now," she said flatly, striding past him. "Hurry up, Lee."

Sokka sighed and pulled his own trench coat off, handing it over and racing after the Blind Bandit. Katara moved to take her coat off, but Aang moved behind her and slid it from her shoulders. She paused in surprise, but as he handed the two coats to the rather disgruntled butler, he smiled at her. Suddenly, she was Kaya, he was Kuzon, and she could see in that smile that this wasn't a bad idea at all.

"Thanks, Kuzon," she said lightly, smiling right back.

"Sure thing, Kaya," he said quietly, offering her his arm. She took it without a second thought and they walked together into the ballroom.

"Wow," Sokka whispered, stopping at the threshold. The manor was huge and lavishly decorated, full of music, food, and high society. The ballroom seemed to be glowing with golden light from two giant chandeliers. The room rumbled with conversation and some slow jazz from one corner.

"Wow is right," Katara muttered. Aang smiled.

"This place is amazing," he said.

"Pfft, not that great," Toph shrugged. "Now come on, we have to mingle and find that dog."

"Mingle?" Sokka asked blankly. Toph grabbed him by the elbow and they disappeared into the crowd.

"Don't you guys get into big bashes like this all the time?" Aang asked as they strolled into the crowd arm-in-arm.

"Well… not like this exactly," she said thoughtfully. "Back home, the bashes we get into are much more… laid back, I suppose." She paused to take a closer look at the guests they were now in the thick of. "Me and Lee, we crawl the speakeasies, not the mansions. They're much more fun, to say the least."

"Meet a lot of guys on these crawls of yours?" Aang asked nonchalantly.

Katara grinned at him. "Now Kuzon, why would my bodyguard be interested in such a thing?"

Aang flushed. "Oh, yeah," he said blankly. "I… I mean, of course, I was just kidding."

"Smooth," Katara murmured, laughing.

"I'm not good at lying," Aang muttered.

"It's not lying," Katara said delicately. "It's closely guarding the truth."

"That's the same thing."

0000000

"Hurry up, Lee," Toph barked at random intervals. "The blind girl shouldn't be in the lead."

"Right, sorry," Sokka muttered for what felt like the millionth time.

"Anything about this party striking you as odd?" Toph asked quietly at length.

"Which part, the fact that he's not serving any booze or the fact that the place is crawling with Prohibition Officers?" Sokka replied under his breath.

"Both," Toph stated, surprised. "You really pay attention, Snoozles."

"I do indeed," Sokka sighed, the compliment going right over his head. "Just because he isn't serving it doesn't mean he doesn't have it. With this kind of money, I don't believe for a second this mop isn't dripping."

"What kind of moron invites the Officers to his house when he has a load of illegal alcohol hidden somewhere?" Toph snorted.

"The kind who knows he won't get busted," Sokka said darkly.

"The word 'cahoots' springs to mind," Toph added.

"So let's get us some information, oh mighty Sai Bei Fong," Sokka said, bowing and offering her his arm. She rolled her eyes and took it.

0000000

"So Kuzon is your… bodyguard?"

Aang and Katara had gotten roped into a conversation with the wife of a rich restaurant owner in an attempt to gain information. She seemed much more interested in Kaya and Kuzon. She had seemed quite surprised when Katara had introduced him as her bodyguard and kept glancing at their linked arms.

"Um… he's my escort," Katara said hurriedly.

"Oh," the woman said. "So the two of you are…?"

"No," they blurted in unison, sharing a blushing glance.

"He's been my bodyguard and um… escort for a long time," Katara lied nervously. "We're good friends."

"Oh, I see… Well it was nice to meet you."

The woman vanished into the crowd. Aang and Katara didn't move.

"You think we shouldn't be walking like this?" Aang asked quietly, frowning at their arms.

"No," Katara said simply. "You're my escort. It's just plain improper for a lady to be left without her escort." She smirked and leaned closer. "You need to hang on to me, Sparky."

Aang blushed and grinned. "No problem, Dollface."

They wandered off into the thick of things again, still arm-in-arm.

0000000

"Uncle."

"What is it, Zuko? I'm working."

"Jet has been standing outside the shop for hours," Zuko pointed out darkly. Iroh had somehow wrangled him into working at the shop as well in mere minutes, and he'd been waiting tables for half the day. "Maybe all day, I just noticed him."

"That boy seemed rather odd," Iroh admitted. "He was a little too suspicious on the boat ride here." He paused. "Smellerbee and Longshot were nice though."

Zuko sighed and rolled his eyes, sweeping an empty tray back into the kitchen.

0000000

"Spirits, these people are boring," Katara sighed as she and Aang took their leave from yet another dull and useless conversation.

"No argument here," Aang yawned. Suddenly, Katara's hand tightened on his arm. "What?"

He glanced at her and realized she was holding onto him so tightly for balance as she stood up on her toes.

"What are you looking at?" he asked curiously, craning his neck up to see over the crowd.

"Butler with a tray of dog food," she said shortly, and without another word she was weaving through the crowd, dragging him along behind her.

0000000

"Wait a second," Sokka said suddenly, coming to an abrupt halt. Toph scowled at him. "I just thought of something."

"Wow, good job," she sighed, rolling her eyes.

Sokka ignored her. "This guy is a dog collector," he said lowly. "So where are all of his dogs?"

Toph blinked several times. "I can't believe I didn't think of it," she said blankly.

"Where are they? Can you see the rest of the house?"

Toph shook her head. "Not easily with all these people milling around. Hang on." She cleared her throat. "Oh dear!" she said loudly, startling Sokka. "I seem to have broken my shoe. Bodyguard, fix it."

She grabbed Sokka's tie and bent down, dragging him down with her.

"What are you doing?" he hissed.

"Pretend to fix my shoe," she muttered. The shoes were, in fact, broken, but only in that Toph had ripped the soles off so she could see. The real reason she had bent down became apparent to Sokka when she flattened both hands to the floor and closed her eyes.

"See anything?" Sokka asked quietly after several long moments.

"It's downstairs," she whispered. "Big room, full of dogs. Three people are going down the stairs, and I'm willing to bet we know two of them." She paused. "Uh oh, make that five people. Two more are headed that way."

Sokka nodded. "I believe we can be of assistance," he said shortly, and the two of them started making their way toward the stairs.

0000000

Aang and Katara silently followed the butler down a flight of stairs just off the ballroom. There was only one door at the bottom which the butler had just disappeared through. Aang pressed his ear to it, listening.

"I think he's gone," he said quietly, confused.

"That was quick," Katara added.

Aang opened the door a crack and peeked in. He frowned.

"What?" Katara whispered, leaning closer to try to see. Aang swallowed hard at her proximity and opened the door the rest of the way, revealing a small, empty room. The two of them walked in and looked around.

"This is weird," Aang said lightly. It was just a little room with wood paneled walls and dark red carpet. The back wall was all bookcases stuffed to the brim with literature and there was a single wooden chair in one corner. There was nothing else but the light switch on the wall which they didn't turn on. Aang closed the door behind them.

"Does this make any sense to you?" Katara asked at length. "Because frankly I'm flummoxed."

Aang snickered. She glanced at him. "Flummoxed," he said in explanation. She quirked an eyebrow. "It's a uh… funny word."

Katara stared. He shrugged. The corners of her mouth turned up just a bit.

"Aha," Aang declared triumphantly. "A smile. You can't help yourself."

Katara rolled her eyes and gave him a playful shove away from her.

"Anyway," she said firmly when he stopped laughing. "Clearly there's a door behind one of these bookcases."

"Clearly," Aang affirmed, nodding.

Katara glanced at him and he shrugged again. She shook her head, exasperated.

"Would you focus?" she tried to sound serious through the laughter in her voice.

"I am focused," he argued airily. "I am very focused on these really… exciting… bookcases."

"You know you're a terrible liar," she laughed.

"It's not lying," he pointed out. "It's closely guarding the truth."

She shoved him again. He was about to argue, but they both froze and looked back at the door.

Someone was coming down the stairs.


	26. Chapter 26

_WHOA CHECK IT. Two days, it only took me two days to write this chapter. WHAT. Yeah, and I happen to think it's better than the last two. It's a new direction. It's me kicking my writer's block's ass. Eh... I hope. Well it seemed like it was flowing more easily._

_AND HEY GUESS WHAT! This chapter is the first real reason why this story has a T rating YAY! Okay, second reason after Katara's nearly-sex dream about Aang a couple chaps back. BUT ANYWAY._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar_

* * *

CHAPTER 26

"Shit," Katara whispered frantically. "Someone's coming."

"Nowhere to hide," Aang hissed, casting a panicked glance around the little room. "What now?"

Katara's mind raced. "Uh… um…" she muttered. The footsteps were getting louder. Her wide eyes fell on Aang. "Pin me to the wall."

Aang's mouth dropped open. "What?" he asked flatly.

She grabbed his tie and pulled him backwards across the room. He stumbled after her. All of a sudden her back was to the wall and she was pulling him against her, shoving his jacket off his shoulders.

"Katara, what…" he stammered.

"It's Kaya," she hissed, tugging his shirt out of the waistband of his pants. "Don't let them hear you calling me Katara."

His eyes were glued to her fingers as they hastily undid the first several buttons on the front of her dress.

"Stop looking so shocked, we only have one shot at this," she whispered.

"Oh," Aang finally understood what was going on. "Oh, okay, right." Katara cast a frantic glance at the door. Whoever was coming was only seconds away. She knocked his hat off and grabbed at the waistband of his pants again while he slid one hand down her back and pressed her against the wall. Someone was turning the doorknob. They shared one last panicked glance.

The door opened and two Prohibition Officers walked in. The light clicked on, revealing a young man hungrily kissing the neck of a young woman he had pinned to the wall and who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying herself. The boy's hands were occupied, one dangerously low on her back and the other sliding up into her hair. Her eyes were closed, her mouth slightly open for breath, her hands tightening on his shoulders as his lips and tongue traveled over the sensitive skin of her throat.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing in here?" one of the Officers barked. The two of them jumped in surprise, glancing over at the door. "This area is off limits."

The young man laughed. "Geez, calm down, pal," he said easily. "We were just looking for some privacy."

"Clearly," the young woman added, smirking.

"Take it somewhere else," the Officer replied, pointing at the door. They both sighed and he backed away from her, taking her by the hand and leading her out the door. It was slammed behind them.

"Holy shit," Katara whispered, leaning against the wall and exhaling heavily. "That was close."

"Very close," Aang consented rather numbly.

Katara hurriedly started buttoning her dress back up and Aang took the cue, tucking his shirt in and buttoning his pants.

"You really went to town, Dollface," he laughed nervously, straightening his tie and pulling his jacket back on.

"Says the boy whose tongue just got very cozy with my neck," she replied, smirking in an attempt to distract from how much she was blushing. She reached up to fix her hair, having no memory of when it got so messed up.

"Hey, it was your idea," he shrugged, placing his hat back on his head and reaching forward to help her smooth the wrinkles from her dress.

Suddenly, they both stopped and looked at each other, wide-eyed. The adrenaline seemed to have worn off, and both of them became very aware of what had just happened.

Katara swallowed hard and tried to take a deep breath, but her lungs already seemed to be full of air. "Uh…" she began, eyes wide. Aang slowly removed his hands from her dress, eyes never leaving hers.

"Have I… mentioned… how uh… beautiful you look tonight?" he stammered flatly, blushing.

Katara looked down, licking her lips. "Um… Aang…"

"Kaya, Kuzon, there you are!"

Both of them whipped around in surprise. Sokka and Toph were coming down the stairs. Aang took several rapid steps away from her, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Katara took a moment to hastily scrub at her neck with both hands.

"Any luck?" Sokka asked.

Aang and Katara glanced at each other.

"Butler with dog food," she said blankly, gesturing at the door behind them with her thumb. "And a couple Officers."

"Said it was off limits," Aang added.

Toph frowned. "What happened?" she asked suspiciously.

"Nothing," they blurted in unison.

"Lying," Toph replied in sing-song voice, tapping her foot on the floor.

"Nothing important," Katara amended hurriedly. "Uh, look, come on, we have to follow the butler…"

She turned toward the door and stopped. Aang glanced at her.

"You guys first," she muttered, stepping aside for Sokka and Toph.

Sokka frowned at them but obliged regardless, opening the door and flipping the light on.

"This is weird," he said slowly. Aang and Katara carefully avoided eye contact.

Toph walked over to the bookcases immediately, leaving the other two standing forlornly in the doorway. "There's a door behind this one," she pointed to the case on the far right. Katara edged away from the wall.

"So how do you suppose it opens?" Sokka asked, leaning forward to inspect the old bookcase. It was packed with books of every size and age. There wasn't a single open gap. It was completely dust-free, though it didn't appear as though the books had been touched in years. Sokka experimentally tugged at a slender leather-bound volume only to find that it didn't budge.

"Fake books?" he asked, more to himself than the others. Toph rolled her eyes and shoved him out of the way.

"We don't have time for this, Snoozles," she said shortly. With that, she cracked her knuckles and grabbed the sides, yanking it from the wall and shoving it aside. Aang and the siblings stared.

"Well that was easy," Toph said lightly, strolling through the newly revealed doorway. "Come along, bodyguard." Sokka rolled his eyes and followed her.

Aang and Katara glanced at each other. Aang cleared his throat nervously.

"Um… ladies first," he muttered.

"Heh… thanks…" she replied, ducking her head and following Sokka and Toph.

The four of them paused as soon as they were through the door. They stood at the entrance to a short hallway lined with doors. The muted sounds of barking bounced around the narrow space. Toph strode into the hall without hesitation.

"They're all full of dogs," she said lightly. The other three hastened after her. "There are five or six in every room, just running around, being dogs. No big deal."

"Where's Appa?" Aang asked urgently. "Do you see him anywhere."

Toph was silent for a few seconds. "No," she finally said, very quietly. Aang swallowed hard and looked down. "But I do know where the dog collector is." Aang looked up at her and raced to catch up. "Room at the end of the hall. It's an office. The butler is in that room we just passed feeding the dogs."

"What about the two Officers?" Aang asked. Katara winced and Sokka frowned.

"What Officers?"

"Um we uh…" Katara stammered. "We saw them go after the butler from the top of the stairs."

Sokka scowled but didn't pursue the subject. Katara began to feel rather miserable. Aang didn't comment, but the back of his neck and the tips of his ears seemed to be rather redder than usual.

"They're in the office with the collector," Toph shrugged.

Aang frowned. Without a word he marched the rest of the hall and burst through the door at the end. The others raced to catch up.

The office was a small square room with dark red carpet and wood paneled walls, just like the room with the bookcases. A giant mahogany desk took up most of it, but what immediately drew their attention was the unusual choice of decorum.

"Ew?" Katara said, nose wrinkling a little in disgust. The room was full of dead stuffed dogs, standing all around the floor and the desk and the shelves on the back wall. In the midst of all the taxidermy stood the two Prohibition Officers, one on either side of the desk.

"You two again," one of the Officers growled when his eyes fell on Aang and Katara. They both blushed.

"Who exactly are you?"

The four of them glanced at the desk. There sat the dog collector, a tall, thin man with an unusually neat mustache and an impeccably clean suit. He got to his feet, arms crossed over his chest in irritation.

Aang took a step forward, standing tall. "I am Avatar Aang," he said firmly. "And you have something that belongs to me."

The Prohibition Officers stepped forward, but the collector held up a hand to stop them.

"I suppose you mean the sheepdog," the collector sighed. He shook his head. "Beastly thing, very poorly trained." Aang gritted his teeth in anger. "The men I bought him from said you were dead. Just proves you can never trust a Dragon."

"I don't care," Aang said shortly. "Where's my dog?"

"He's not here," the collector said with a shrug. "I sold him."

Aang became very still. He closed his eyes and took a long breath. Katara placed a hesitant hand on his shoulder that he didn't seem to notice.

"Aang?" she whispered.

"What do you mean he's not here?!"

Katara heard the change in his voice before anyone else did. He was getting too angry too fast. She knew what would happen next. Sure enough, as his breathing quickened in frustration, the air around him began to spin. The tattoos on the backs of his clenched fists began to glow. Katara acted entirely on instinct, stepping directly in front of him. She flattened a hand to his chest and shoved him back against the wall. The action didn't seem to affect him. His eyes remained glued to the collector, narrowed in anger. The collector looked mildly terrified, while Sokka and Toph were just surprised by what Katara had done.

"Aang, look at me," she said firmly, taking his face in her hands and turning his head toward hers. He glared at her. She didn't waver. "Right here, Sparky. Look at me." He fell still when their eyes locked and her voice grew softer. The wind abruptly stopped turning around him. "Just focus on me." The glow receded. He let out a haggard breath. Katara sighed, relieved. "There you are."

Aang was breathing heavily, eyes closed. He wavered on the spot, clearly disoriented, but Katara held him steady with her hands on his face. When he finally opened his eyes and met hers, they widened in surprise. He blushed, and she felt the heat beneath her palms. Only then did Katara realize just how close she had brought them, just how much of her was touching him, just how warm his breath was, how grey his eyes were…

"Uh… you… you okay?" she stammered, unmoving.

"Uh huh," he replied numbly, eyes never leaving hers.

"Good," she said, nodding slowly. She swallowed hard and stepped away from him, allowing him space to move away from the wall.

"What was that?" one of the Officers asked in panic.

"Where's the dog?" Toph asked flatly.

"Like I said, I sold him," the collector said, thoroughly shaken. "To the police commissioner, Long Feng."

"Excellent, thanks," Toph replied, grabbing Sokka by the elbow and dragging him backwards out of the room.

"Hey, wait a-" Sokka began indignantly. Toph just gave his arm an uncomfortable yank and he fell silent.

Katara took Aang's hand in hers and tugged him toward the door. "Come on, Sparky," she whispered. "Time to go."

Aang followed her numbly, casting a dark glance back into the room and slamming the door behind them.

"Okay time to run," Toph said as soon as they were all out the door. With that, they all took off running down the hall. Toph let go of Sokka's elbow, but Aang held firmly to Katara's hand. As soon as they reached the end of the hall, the office door behind them burst open and the Officers were after them.

"Bookcase," Sokka shouted as they tore into the little room. Aang turned around and hauled the bookcase back into place. It was destroyed an instant later by a great deal of flying rock from the other side.

"Uh, I think they're gaining on us," Aang called, grabbing Katara's hand again as he raced past her on the way up the stairs.

"Hey you kids, hold it right there!"

"Not listening, still running," Katara shouted without looking back. The four of them tore into the crowd, scattering party guests in their wake. Many more indignant and angry shouts followed them on their way to the front door.

"Butler, pal, good to see you again," Sokka laughed amiably when they skidded into the entrance hall. "Hey you don't by any chance have our coats like… right here, do you?"

"No time just run," Toph growled, grabbing his elbow again and sprinting out the door.

"Thanks for the hospitality," Aang called back when they were halfway down the drive.

They didn't stop running for several blocks. Needless to say, none of them had any trouble sleeping that night. At least, two of them didn't.

Katara lied awake in her bed for hours, staring at the ceiling and trying her hardest not to think about exactly what she was thinking about. Now that all the running was over, her mind started running instead. It endlessly played back that barely half minute she had spent pinned against the wall. It had passed in a blur, but her senses had imprinted it on her memory in slow motion.

Friction, all she could remember was friction. Deliciously hot friction of his fingertips running down her back, his lips and tongue sliding across her neck.

Katara got out of bed with a frustrated groan and pressed her forehead to the cool window. Little did she know, Aang was doing the same thing at the next window over.

He was in a similar predicament, but he was feeling much warmer and much more uncomfortable than Katara. After all, Katara had done all the unbuttoning. At no point was Aang's hand practically down her pants. Especially considering she'd been wearing a dress at the time. A dress that buttoned in the front, much to Aang's torture.

Aang let out a frustrated groan of his own and hauled the window open. They were on the top floor, so it was just a quick jump to the roof. Much to his surprise, the roof was already occupied.

"Billie?" Aang asked.

Billie turned around in surprise. She was sitting on the edge of the roof facing the street.

"Oh, Aang," Billie sighed, smiling. "You scared me for a second." She smirked a little. "Nice PJs."

Aang glanced down at himself and found that he was, indeed, wearing his pajamas. "Oh, thanks," he laughed, a little embarrassed.

"Come have a seat, Avatar," she offered.

Aang smiled and sat down next to her. "You can uh… just call me Aang," he said quietly.

Billie glanced at him. "Not much for the Avatar thing?"

Aang shrugged. "It just came up kind of fast," he admitted. "I still feel like it's sinking in I guess."

"Understandable," Billie nodded. She turned her gaze back to the street and Aang finally took a look around.

"Wow," he whispered. The building wasn't large compared to the rest of the city, but it was in a great spot downtown. The city glittered all around them, humming with night life. "Nice view."

Billie smiled. "Yeah, I've always liked it," she sighed. "So what brings you up to my nice view, Aang?"

Aang was silent for a while. "Couldn't sleep," he muttered, glancing at his bare feet hanging over the edge of the roof.

"Hmmm…" Billie hummed thoughtfully. "Couldn't sleep just because you couldn't sleep or couldn't sleep because your mind is on something?"

After several long moments of weighing his options, Aang decided on the truth. "My mind is on something."

"Something with pretty blue eyes and a mean water whip? And maybe a laugh that always makes you smile?"

Aang stared at her. "Uh… maybe," he stammered.

Billie laughed. A smile tugged at Aang's lips, and he didn't realize why until he noticed how much her laugh reminded him of Katara's. He stopped smiling.

"I can't blame you," Billie chuckled, clapping him on the shoulder. "Katara has been a knockout since she was a little girl, just like Kaya."

Aang glanced over at Billie for a long moment. "You were friends with Katara's mother when you were little?" he asked quietly.

Billie smiled fondly at the memory. "Kaya and I met when we were nine years old," she nodded, then laughed. "But, that was a long time ago." A car horn blared on the street below, then all was quiet again. "So let's focus on the here and now, shall we?"

"Eh, that means me, doesn't it?" Aang muttered, smiling a little miserably at her.

Billie rolled her eyes. "Now what is it with you gangster boys? Never talk about your feelings."

"I don't think any boys talk about their feelings," Aang pointed out.

"Beside the point," Billie said airily, pointing a finger at him. "Now tell me here and now, before anything else is said. Do you love her?"

Aang was oddly calmed by the question. He turned his gaze back out to the city, thinking carefully. "Do I love Katara?" he repeated quietly. He reached up and scratched the back of his neck. "I don't really know, I mean… I've never been in love before. I don't have any standard for comparison."

Billie grinned at him. "Do you care about her?"

"Of course."

"Does it make you happy to see her happy, regardless of whether or not it was you who made her happy?"

"Yeah."

She turned and looked at him fully, leveling a long, hard gaze straight into his eyes. "If you could, would you change anything about her?"

Aang smiled. "Not a thing," he said quietly. "But even if she does change… I'll keep on loving her."

Billie grinned at him, impressed. "Well done, Aang," she said gently. "You just admitted that you love Katara."

The young Avatar blinked. "Oh," he uttered. "I guess… I guess I did. I suppose I… I do love her."

Suddenly, Billie grabbed his shoulder and turned him to face her, pointing a finger in his face. "Don't you break her heart, Aang," she said firmly. "That girl has had enough heartache for a dozen lifetimes, and she's only sixteen. You won't break her heart, will you."

It wasn't a question. It was a statement.

Aang smiled a little. "I would never do anything to hurt her," he said sincerely. "Literally or metaphorically."

Billie sighed, relieved, and patted his shoulder. "Alright, good," she affirmed, nodding. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say she has a bit of a soft spot for you."

"I think you would know better than anyone else," Aang replied, smirking a little. Billie chuckled again.

"Boy, you'll give her a run for her money," she sighed, getting to her feet and offering him a hand. "Come on, let's turn in."

Aang smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Billie."

"You're welcome, Aang. Sleep well."


	27. Chapter 27

_So it wasn't exactly two days, but hey, it's better than a month, right? Anywho, I come bearing Kataang awkwardness, Toph being Toph, Zuko angstyness, and the introduction of the one, the only, JET. _

_Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar_

* * *

CHAPTER 27

The morning found Katara completely exhausted during breakfast at a diner down the street from the Chatter House. Aang was tired, but he had managed to get some sleep after speaking to Billie. Katara was awake all night.

"What's the matter, Dollface?" Aang asked around a mouthful of toast. "Trouble sleeping?"

"Yes," Katara muttered, head on the table.

"Katara, you're scaring the waitress," Sokka sighed, jerking his thumb in the direction of the old waitress walking by with a pot of coffee, looking curiously at Katara.

"Tired," she grumbled into the table.

"Are you gonna eat that?" Toph asked, pointing at Katara's untouched plate of eggs.

"Help yourself."

"Copacetic."

"So what's the plan?" Sokka asked at length. "We have to find this Long Feng guy."

"As far as I can tell, that is the plan," Toph responded flatly, mouth full of eggs.

"Can't we just use your Bei Fong magic again and bust into the police station?" Sokka suggested hopefully.

"Or we could just walk in," Katara muttered. "It's a police station, we don't need magic." She sighed heavily against the table. "We need to use our fake names again though. I don't think waltzing into the hub of Prohibition Officer activity and introducing ourselves as Hakoda's Kids would be the best idea we've ever had."

"And we've had some pretty bad ideas," Aang offered, grinning.

Sokka rolled his eyes. "Alright, I suppose we could give that a try," he sighed. "I'll go get the truck." He got to his feet and left the table, leaving silence in his wake.

"So," Toph said loudly, kicking her feet up on the table. "Are you guys gonna be straight with me or what?"

"What talking?" Katara grumbled.

"Come again?" Aang asked, glancing at her.

"Too tired for words-putting-into-sentence-doing…"

"Oh," Aang paused. "I think she meant to say 'What are you talking about?'"

The diminutive earthbender laughed. "Oh please, I know you two went into that room with the bookcases before the two Prohibition Officers."

Katara's head snapped up from the table. Aang dropped his orange juice.

"Interesting reaction," Toph said airily. "What exactly happened in that little room that you lost so much sleep over?"

"Toph," Aang laughed nervously. "I think you're uh… reading too much into this."

"Yeah we were just… in the room and the Officers caught us and kicked us out… is all…" Katara stammered.

"Do you two seriously keep forgetting that I can tell when you're lying?"

"Uh…"

The two of them were spared from the conversation when someone entirely unexpected appeared beside their table.

"Why if it isn't Katara."

The young waterbender glanced over in surprise. Her mouth dropped open.

"Jet?" she gasped.

Jet smiled and spread his arms wide, bowing. "The one and only."

"Jet?" Aang repeated, incredulous.

Katara's eyes narrowed and she appeared to bristle. "Jet," she growled. And a second later she had leapt from the booth and tackled him to the ground, her hands around his neck. "I thought I told you to stay away from me!"

"Katara," Aang blurted in surprise. He scrambled out of his chair and grabbed her around the waist. "Katara, stop, we'll get kicked out."

Eventually Aang coaxed her into letting go of Jet's throat. He sat up, coughing and rather red in the face, while Aang convinced her to sit back down.

"Thanks pal," Jet laughed, his voice cracking slightly as he got to his feet. "I really owe you-"

He didn't finish, because Aang chose that moment to turn and deliver a solid punch to his jaw that sent him right back to the floor. Katara started in surprise. Toph burst out laughing.

"Hey what was that all about?" Jet shouted angrily, sitting up again and rubbing his sore chin. "I don't even know you!"

Aang cracked his knuckles. "Well I've heard enough about you," he said darkly. "And I believe Katara said she never wanted to see you again."

Jet looked past Aang to see Katara. "So, you roped yourself another one, huh?" he said sourly, smirking.

"No," Aang answered for her, stepping into Jet's line of sight. "I'm a friend. And I don't like you."

Jet took a deep breath and held up his hands in a placating gesture. "Okay, okay, I understand why you don't like me," he said calmly. "And I understand why Katara hates me. But I've changed, really. I just wanted to say hello, see how you were."

Katara let out a sardonic laugh. "Boy, you've got some nerve," she said darkly, making another attempt to come after him that Aang blocked. "Nice punch, by the way."

"Thanks," Aang replied, eyes never leaving Jet.

"I just… I have no words," Katara continued angrily. "Wait, I've thought of some. Jerk, ass, arrogant, inconsiderate, mindless, lowlife, buttfaced miscreant." She paused and took a deep breath. "Did I mention ass?"

Aang nodded. "Yeah, but I think you could stand to mention it a few more times," he added.

"I agree," Katara smiled at him. Then she turned back to Jet, scowl back in place. "Ass. Such an ass."

Jet sighed heavily and leveled a glare up at Toph. "Well, you have anything to say?" he asked grumpily, still massaging his jaw.

Toph laughed. "Please, just be glad he punched you rather than me," she said lightly, cracking her knuckles in a rather threatening gesture.

"What do you want, Jet?" Katara asked darkly before he could respond.

Jet sighed and got to his feet again, rather more carefully this time. "Look, I just came to make amends," he muttered. "I was in town and I thought you might be here. It's your week, isn't it?"

Aang frowned and Katara glanced away. Toph snorted.

"Who is this guy?" she laughed sardonically. "Boyfriend?"

"Ex-boyfriend," Katara snapped. She sighed. "Unfortunately."

Toph laughed again. "You actually dated this skeez? Man Sugar Queen, and here I thought you had standards."

"I was fourteen," Katara snarled. "And if there's one thing this ass here is good at, it's pretending to be charming." She glared at him. "Ass."

"Okay, I get it, I'm sorry," he groaned in frustration. "What else do you want me to do?"

"For what it's worth, he's telling the truth about just wanting to make amends," Toph put in.

"Jet?"

The four of them glanced over in surprise. Smellerbee and Longshot were in the doorway, staring at Jet like they hadn't seen him in years. Smellerbee ran into the diner and grabbed Jet around the waist in a brief hug before shoving him back to the floor.

"What's wrong with you?" she shouted. Jet didn't even bother sitting up. "Where have you been? Longshot and I have been worried sick!" Longshot nodded, scowling down at him.

"Smellerbee? Longshot?" Katara asked, bewildered. "You're here too?"

"Katara," Smellerbee said blankly, looking over at her in surprise. "He found you." She kicked Jet in the shin. "I'm sorry, Katara, I told him not to, but he just doesn't listen and then disappears for two days."

"Disappears?" Jet asked. "What are you talking about? I just saw you guys half an hour ago."

Aang and Katara exchanged a glance, then looked at Toph.

"Who's lying?" they asked in unison.

Toph blinked in surprise. "Both of them."

"What?"

"Better question."

Everyone froze and looked over. Sokka was standing rooted beside the table. Katara had never seen him look so intimidating.

"What the hell is going on here?" he said very quietly, but everyone present heard him.

Toph got abruptly to her feet. "I have absolutely no idea," she declared.

At Sokka's short insistence, the seven of them left the diner to continue the conversation outside. Eventually and after much shouting and bickering, it settled on Jet explaining what was going on.

"Look, Smellerbee, Longshot and me all came here by the river ferry yesterday, they said they were going to find us a place to stay the night," Jet explained, hands up in a defensive gesture. "We hadn't been to the city in a while, I figured I might run into Katara so I could apologize. That's all."

Toph shrugged. "He's telling the truth."

"But Jet, that was two days ago," Smellerbee replied, frustrated. Longshot nodded. "You went crazy, following those two guys we met on the ferry, convinced they were Dragons… We thought you were lying in a gutter somewhere."

"Also telling the truth," Toph sighed.

"That's impossible," Katara pointed out.

"No, it's not," Sokka said simply. "They both think they're telling the truth. So clearly, Jet has been brainwashed."

His deduction was met with silence.

"Brainwashed?" Aang snorted. "Like in those science fiction pulp magazines?"

Katara laughed. "Sokka, that stuff doesn't actually happen," she said lightly.

"Then come up with a better explanation," Sokka said coolly.

Katara leveled a hard gaze at Jet, who looked sincerely confused. "He was doing something stupid, hit his head and lost his memory," she said flatly.

"Well you're a healer," Sokka replied. "Check him over, look at his chi or whatever."

Katara scowled and reached for her water skin. Aang looked sharply between the two of them.

"Wait, check him over, what does that mean?" he asked hastily.

"I'm just looking at his head for bumps or bruises or cuts…" she grumbled, bending a glowing coat of water over her hands and placing her fingertips on his temples. She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly. Jet turned rather pale and he blinked several times, eyes glazing over. Aang clenched his fists until his knuckles went white in his pockets.

Very suddenly, Jet let out a snarl of anger and Katara staggered back from him. Aang was at her side immediately.

"What happened? What did he do? Are you okay?" he demanded quietly as Jet shook his head like a dog and blinked rapidly, appearing confused.

"He um… well I think brainwashed is the best word for it," she murmured, acutely aware of Aang's warm hand on her back.

"What happened?" Jet asked vaguely. His eyes were regaining their focus and the color returned to his face.

"Apparently you've been brainwashed," Smellerbee said quietly, sounding rather doubtful.

Katara shook her head slowly. "It was really… weird," she began thoughtfully. "I was just examining your chi flow like any normal healing, and there didn't seem to be anything wrong with your head. But then I hit some kind of wall in your energy and I heard the word 'Laogai' in my head and all of a sudden you were shouting and I had to back off." She noticed the water dripping from her fingertips and shook her hands dry.

"Laogai?" Smellerbee repeated. Jet winced and Toph shot a sidelong glance at him, frowning.

"Isn't that the name of a hotel in uptown?" Sokka asked, confused. Longshot nodded. He and Smellerbee shared a long look.

"Yeah, you're right, we should go check it out," she said simply. "Are you guys in?"

Katara opened her mouth to respond, but Sokka stopped her with a look. "Come on Katara, it's right next to the police station. We can at least give them a ride."

"What's with you being all charitable?" she demanded in response. "Considering your reaction to Aang, I was under the impression you hated Jet more than I do. Or have the past two years of Sokka the Ridiculous just been my imagination?"

"Aha," Jet burst out, making both Katara and Sokka jump in surprise. "So this guy is your boyfriend."

"What?" Aang, Katara, and Sokka said in unison, though in Aang and Katara's cases it was accompanied by a blush. Toph rolled her eyes.

"He said he was just a friend, you didn't say anything on the subject," Jet pointed out. "I want to hear it from you, Katara. Are you and Aang dating?"

Katara willed herself to stop blushing, but it didn't work. She took a settling breath. "No, we aren't dating," she said clearly.

Jet smirked. "But you want to be, don't you?"

Aang and Sokka both straightened up in surprise. Even Toph's curiosity was peaked. Katara felt like she was shrinking. "Well… well I…" she stammered. She couldn't stop herself from glancing over at Aang. He was watching her with a rather blank expression on his face, but she could see how tense he was in his posture.

"You know I'll be able to tell if you lie," Toph said, smiling innocently.

Katara let out a frustrated groan. "Alright alright, I've thought about it, okay?" she blurted. Aang blinked, eyes rather wider than usual. "I mean who hasn't?" She started to feel rather panicked. "Dammit, Jet!" she growled. "You're such an ass."

Jet shrugged. "Ah well, I'm surprised I managed to push you as far as I did," he admitted.

It took the combined strength of Aang, Sokka, and Longshot to pull Katara off of him after she tackled him to the ground in another snarling attempt to strangle him.

0000000

After another long while of shouting and bickering, the seven of them piled into Sokka's truck and started off toward uptown. Jet, for his own safety, was sitting shotgun where Katara couldn't get a hold of his neck again. Instead, she sat in the back with her arms crossed tightly across her chest, scowling. Aang was sitting silently beside her. Toph was speaking easily with Smellerbee and could somehow understand Longshot as well. They weren't paying any attention to Aang and Katara, a fact Aang intended to take advantage of.

"Katara?" he asked hesitantly. She glanced at him, blushing in embarrassment.

"Aang, look…" she muttered, focusing determinedly on her knees.

"It's okay, you don't have to…" he began, trailing off. "Um… I mean… it's alright, you were on the spot and it's… no big deal if you want to take it back or anything…"

Katara bit her lip and looked away. "I wasn't… lying," she said slowly. He looked over in surprise. "I mean… haven't you… thought about it?" Suddenly, she sounded unusually insecure.

"I have," he said quietly. "I just… didn't think you had…"

"Well… what do we do now?"

"Maybe…" Aang sighed. "Maybe this is just another one of those things we pretend never happened. Like last night at the party…"

Katara looked down. She was surprised by a completely unfamiliar feeling in her chest, a sort of aching she had never experienced. She briefly considered the possibility that she didn't want to just pretend those things had never happened, but no, that was impossible. Sure, she'd thought about her and Aang. Quite a lot. But she had also thought of the consequences. They were friends. And at least for now… they had to stay that way.

She nodded. "You're right," she said flatly. "This is just another one of those things."

Aang nodded back. "Okay," he replied firmly. "So we're okay?"

She smiled. "Of course we're okay," she sighed. "Me and Jet, on the other hand…"

Aang laughed. "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him."

Katara turned and looked at him, a warm smile on her face. He grinned right back, and she ignored the way her heart fluttered in her chest.

0000000

Somehow, over the course of three days, the ownership of the little tea shop in Ba Sing Sei had passed over to Uncle Iroh. Zuko was less than pleased.

"Uncle, I thought we were just lying low here until things calmed down back home," Zuko growled through his teeth as Iroh handed him an apron. The store was about to open for the morning.

Iroh paused as he turned toward the stove. "Look… Zuko…" he sighed. "I am beginning to think we may be better off simply starting a new life here, in Ba Sing Sei."

"What?"

Iroh frowned at him. "Think about it, nephew. We don't have a home to go back to."

"Uncle, this is ridiculous."

Iroh pointed a firm finger at Zuko's chest. "Besides that fight you had with Jet and those Prohibition Officers, this city has yielded nothing but good fortune for us, if you would only open your eyes and allow yourself to see it," he said firmly. "There is peace here, and peace is something you have lacked your entire life. Why won't you give it a chance?"

"Because it isn't my destiny to become some quiet little tea shop owner," Zuko shouted.

"Destiny?" Iroh thundered over him. "No man can decide his own destiny, Zuko. Do you truly believe it is your destiny to go traipsing after that young man and the Riversider girl until my brother decides to welcome you back to a society you are better than?" Zuko looked away, fuming. "What will you do? Follow them to their wedding? Haunt their home and their children?"

"No!" Zuko roared. "I'll… I'll capture him long before that!"

Iroh sighed and looked down, shaking his head. "Then there is nothing more that I can do for you," he said, his tone rather dark. "You are at a crossroads, Zuko. You must decide for yourself what kind of life you want to lead, what kind of man you want to be." He took the apron from Zuko's hands.

"Uncle," Zuko said in surprise. "Wait…"

Iroh glanced at him. "You have more to say?"

"Well…" he began, confused. His face hardened into a scowl. "Fine. Forget it. I'm… I'm going back up to the apartment. You can run this place yourself."

"Very well," Iroh shrugged, his expression still cool.

Zuko let out a groan of frustration and stomped out of the shop, slamming the door behind him. Iroh let out another heavy sigh and hung the apron back inside the pantry.


	28. Chapter 28

_I AM SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG. I got really stuck for some reason, I dunno why exactly. But I finally got it rolling and here it is and I AM SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG._

_For future reference, if it's taking me a long time to update you can look at my livejournal and I'll usually have an explanation. I was getting reviews telling me to please not stop writing and I was like I'm not I'm sorry! If I'm calling it quits (which I'm not) I'll let you guys know. SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG._

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CHAPTER 28

"Hey guys, we're here."

Katara glanced out of back of the truck. They were in uptown again, and up the hill Katara could see the dog collector's mansion. She felt heat rising to her cheeks just seeing it there and she quickly glanced away.

Sokka parked the truck on the side of the road in front of a restaurant, the only building between the police station and the Laogai Hotel.

"That's kind of unusual, isn't it?" Aang remarked as they all piled onto the sidewalk. "Having a hotel so close to a police station?"

"Unusual is the right word, I think," Katara said thoughtfully. She carefully avoided looking at Jet. "Well looks like we part ways here, bye." And she started toward the police station.

"Hey Dollface, hang on," Aang said. Katara paused and glanced at him. "Maybe we can all help each other out."

Katara just scowled at him and marched up the stone steps and through the first set of broad doors into the police station. Aang blinked several times in surprise.

"Did she just ignore me?" he asked, incredulous.

"Ouch, Twinkle Toes," Toph laughed. Aang didn't seem to hear her, eyes glued to the brick face of the station.

"Forget it, Aang," Sokka sighed, shaking his head. He glanced at Jet. "But Aang's right, maybe we could help each other."

Aang, however, wasn't listening. He was already stomping after Katara.

"Hey, Aang, wait!" Sokka called after him, only to be ignored. Sokka just shook his head.

"Katara."

Katara turned around. There were two sets of doors into the police station. Katara had only made it through one when Aang caught up, so the two of them came to a stop in the small area in between.

"What is it, Aang?" she asked lightly. She glanced behind him. "Are Sokka and Toph coming?"

Aang frowned at her. Her tone was light, but he didn't buy it.

"Did you hear me?" he asked, a little more coolly than he intended.

"Yeah, I heard you," she replied, eyes narrowing slightly. He was taken aback by this abrupt reply.

"But you ignored me."

"Obviously."

Aang scowled. Katara just leveled a narrow gaze at him, as if daring him to reply. He dared.

"Why are you acting like this?" he demanded.

"Like what? This is how I act," Katara shot back.

"No, it's not," Aang snapped. "You were fine a few minutes ago."

"Yeah, a few minutes ago you weren't suggesting we help that slime out there," she jerked her thumb back toward the doors Aang had just come through.

"You don't hate him that much Katara," Aang said darkly. She became rather still, like some kind of wildcat preparing to tear him to shreds. He plunged on, rather recklessly. "You're just worked up about something. What is it?"

Katara crossed her arms over her chest, eyes narrowed dangerously. Aang recognized that posture. Her walls were ramming up around her. She was blocking him out, and he wouldn't let it happen. "What, you think you know me so well you can just tell me how much I hate someone?" she asked, her voice a chilling deadpan.

Her defenses may have lasted her this long, but they'd never been up against Aang.

"Yes."

"Wrong," Katara practically shouted, her answer almost instant. "I do hate him that much."

"You still have feelings for him, don't you?" Aang demanded suddenly.

Katara jerked back as if he had hit her. A ringing silence pressed in on him, and suddenly he felt like he really needed to be much braver than he was to survive that look she was giving him.

"What?"

"You wouldn't hate him so much if there wasn't still something there," Aang barreled on. He was too far to stop now, might as well let it all come out. "Hatred isn't the opposite of love, you know."

"I never loved him," Katara snapped, eyes darkening angrily. "And I don't have feelings for him."

"So then why-" Aang shouted, but he stopped himself. He took a deep breath through his nose and turned away from her. Too far. He had almost slipped.

Katara bristled.

"What, huh?" she taunted, snarling. "What is it, Sparky? Why what?"

He steeled himself. There was nothing else for it. Time to roll the dice.

Aang turned on her, grabbing her firmly by the arms and shocking her into silence.

"Why do we keep pretending there's nothing between us?" he asked, rather louder than he intended.

Katara stared at him, wide-eyed. He let go of her, took a step back, and looked away, seething.

"That… that was your idea in the first place," Katara pointed out coldly, temper flaring again out of self defense.

There were those walls again. Aang felt his own temper biting back. It was a tough thing to handle when it got out of control, so the next thing he said tumbled out before the thought of it had even formed.

"Yeah, because if I did anything else you would have been scared off," he shot back, still not looking at her. "And I knew that if I was gonna have a chance, I had to at least stay friends with you."

Katara's eyes widened again. Her cheeks turned rather pink, and she looked like she had just been punched in the stomach. "You mean you're only my friend because you want to-" she began, voice rising in volume.

Aang suddenly realized his mistake. He turned back toward her, holding up his hands in a placating gesture.

"No, no Dollface, that's not what I…"

"How dare you?" she shouted, jabbing him in the chest with her pointer finger. "I can't believe this. I thought… I thought you were different."

"I am, Katara, please…"

"But you're just like him!" she roared. He froze. That one stung. He took a step forward to try to reach her, try to calm her down, but she flattened a hand on his chest and pushed him away. He was floored. She had never pushed him before. "You're just like everyone else!" She brushed past him and out the door back onto the sidewalk.

Aang stood rooted to the spot. How had this spiraled out of control so fast? He shook his head and raced after her.

"Katara," he grabbed her arm to try to stop her, but she wrenched out of his grip and turned on him.

"Stay away from me," she growled.

He grabbed her shoulders in an attempt to get her to face him. "No, please just listen to…"

"I don't want to hear it," she shouted, pushing him again. Sokka and the others looked over in surprise. "You… you've been lying this whole time, about us being friends."

"No, Katara…"

"You really had me fooled," she laughed bitterly. Aang tried to speak again, but she just shook her head. "No… I had myself fooled. All I'll ever be is a pretty face, right?" She shot him a look that could have effectively frozen the blood in his veins. "Even to you."

The sidewalk fell silent. Everyone was staring at him but Katara, who was facing resolutely away from him with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Katara…" he said quietly. She didn't flinch. Suddenly, he felt himself getting angry. "Well… fine!" he shouted. "If you don't want to listen to me, then I'm done trying!"

And he stomped back into the police station.

Katara glanced over her shoulder, appearing rather conflicted.

"Okay, what the hell happened?" Sokka said loudly, throwing his hands up in the air in exasperation.

"Um, hello?" Toph said loudly, pointing firmly at the station. "He's going in there to talk to Long Feng. Shouldn't we, oh I don't know… go with him?"

"Right," Katara said quietly, shaking her head as if coming out of a fog. "Yeah, let's go."

Sokka, Toph, Jet, Smellerbee, and Longshot all followed Katara inside, bewildered. They found Aang at the main desk, being rather rude to the Prohibition Officer manning it.

"Do I need to spell it out for you?" Aang was saying crossly. "I want to see Long Feng. Now."

"Look, kid," the officer began, pointing a threatening finger at him.

"I'm not a kid," Aang shot back. "Now take me to see Long Feng."

"Sorry about him," Toph said loudly, grabbing Aang by the collar and yanking him backwards. He choked and started coughing, allowing Toph enough time to shove him behind herself and Sokka. "He's cranky this time of day."

"Noon?" the officer asked skeptically.

"Don't ask me," Toph shrugged. "I can't read a clock, I'm blind." She pointed to herself. "Look, pal, we don't want any trouble. It's just that… through some sort of misunderstanding, my seeing-eye dog was sold to the commissioner."

"Right," the officer said slowly. He shook his head, exasperated. "Well I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you," Toph said with a grin. She shot a blank glare back at Aang. "See? I told you the nice man would be able to help us."

Aang scowled and turned around, facing away from all of them. Jet glanced between him and Katara, who was standing as far from his as she could.

"What's the deal?" he asked Katara quietly. She gave him a look that clearly said she couldn't understand why he was talking to her, so he sighed and fell silent.

The officer had since disappeared down a hallway just behind the desk. Toph turned toward the others.

"There's a tunnel underneath the station," she whispered. "It leads to the Laogai."

Everyone stared at her.

"Are you serious?" Sokka asked lowly.

Toph pointed a threatening finger at him. "Don't sass me, boy."

"I wasn't-" Sokka began indignantly, but Toph ignored him.

"I'm not kidding, it goes right under the building next door, straight to the basement of the Laogai Hotel. And speaking of the basement…" she tapped her foot. "Something about that doesn't strike me as a hotel."

"What do you mean?" Jet asked quietly.

"Well I don't think I've ever been to a hotel with a bunch of metal cells in the lower levels."

Everyone stared again.

"Are you sure that's not part of the police station?" Sokka asked doubtfully. Toph just pointed at him again. He sighed. "Well what are we supposed to make of this?"

"Jet was brainwashed by the Prohibition Officers," Aang said bluntly. Jet glanced at him. "We know Laogai is connected to you being brainwashed, and it's also connected to the station. What other conclusion can we draw exactly?"

"So I guess you're stuck with me a little longer," Jet said to Katara, attempting a friendly smile. She ignored him.

The officer reappeared behind the desk, and he looked rather annoyed.

"Sorry, but it's like I told the cranky one over there," he said, sounding tired. "Long Feng isn't here right now. I can leave a message for him or you can wait. That's all I can do."

"That won't be necessary," Toph said politely. "Thank you for your time."

And she marched out of the station. The others followed her, bewildered.

"Well now what?" Aang asked crossly. Toph glared at him.

"Now we are going to the Laogai Hotel, Airhead," she snapped. "I don't care what happened with you and Sugar Queen, but you'd better knock it off if you want my help."

Aang sighed. "Fine, sorry," he grumbled.

Toph scowled at him. "Not exactly what I was going for, but better," she sighed. "Come on."

The seven of them entered the Laogai Hotel. The lobby was quiet. After all, it was just barely the afternoon. The young man at the desk glanced up from his newspaper and sighed.

"Can I help you?" he asked, bored.

Katara and Sokka both smiled. They had never met this boy, but they knew who he was. He was a rumrunner with a day job. They could tell on instinct. The siblings approached the desk.

"Good afternoon, sir," Katara said, voice low and sweet as she leaned on the counter.

Suddenly, the man was paying much more attention. Aang scowled. Jet smirked at him.

"Hey there, baby," the man replied, flashing a smile. "Looking for a room?"

Sokka cleared his throat. "I see you've met my little sister," he growled. The young man went pale.

Katara laughed lightly. "Oh Sokka, don't be so…"

"Wait," the main said, eyes narrowing. "Did you just call him Sokka?" The two of them grinned. "So you are who I think you are?"

"That depends," Katara replied narrowly. "Are you who we think you are?"

He stuck out his hand. Sokka shook it, waiting.

"To high treason," the young man said quietly, smirking.

Sokka clapped him on the shoulder. "Cheers."

"What just happened?" Toph asked blankly.

"Rumrunners have this weird way of figuring out who their fellow runners are," Jet replied, appearing uninterested. "You can't just come out and ask with all these Officers around."

"Hm, clever," Toph conceded. Aang didn't seem to be paying attention.

"Katara," Katara said, pointing to herself. She jerked her thumb at Sokka. "Sokka." She gestured between the two of them. "Hakoda's Kids."

The young man pointed to himself. "Ben," he said. "Uh… just Ben."

"We need your help, Ben," Katara said with a sweet smile that left Aang grinding his teeth. "There a basement in this hotel?"

"There is, but it's guarded and you need the keys," Ben replied lowly, leaning a little closer to Katara so he could stay quiet. "I can't help you right now."

Katara smirked. "Right now? Benjamin, you have my interest peaked," she said lightly. Sokka sighed a little. He hated to admit it, but his sister was good at this kind of thing. Aang wasn't taking nearly as well. He was pacing near the door, arms crossed over his chest.

"There's a fancy dig here tonight," Ben said, grinning at her. she smiled right back. Aang scoffed to himself. Everyone ignored him. "DAR mixer. It'll be a lot easier for you to uh… drop by… during the mixer. Everyone will be distracted."

Katara laughed, a low, musical laugh that made Aang's heart skip a few beats. He scoffed again and was ignored, again.

"You've been more than helpful, Ben," she said politely, abruptly pushing off from the counter. Ben sat up, startled.

"Well damn, it would be just plain rude of me to let you walk out of here without asking to be your escort this evening," he said, standing up and flashing a smile.

Suddenly, everyone was watching Katara very closely. She chewed her lip for a few thoughtful seconds, then leaned forward and patted Ben on the shoulder.

"That's very sweet of you," she said sincerely. "But frankly, I have plenty of boys to deal with right now."

And with that, she left the building. Toph grinned and followed her.

"Thanks again, Ben," Sokka said quickly. The rest of the group left a slightly put out Ben behind.

"Well handled, Sweetness," Toph was saying when they all reached the sidewalk. "Looks like we'll be attending another party."

"Same cover stories work for everyone?" Sokka asked.

Aang and Katara shared a brief look before turning angrily away.

"Okay, great," Sokka answered for them. "Now we just need to set you three up with something."

"Well what're your stories? Maybe we can fit into them somehow," Smellerbee asked.

Toph drew herself up to her full yet diminutive height. "I am Sai Bei Fong," she said loudly. She grabbed Sokka by the ear and he yelped. "This is my bodyguard, Lee." She pointed to Katara. "She is Kaya Dao, daughter of a wealthy police commissioner from the south. Kuzon is her escort."

"Great," Jet said with a grin. "I'll be your cousin, Don Dao. Smellerbee will be my little sister um… Su Yin."

"Call me Su," Smellerbee said lightly, shrugging.

"And Longshot will be my college chum, Tai Long," Jet declared, clapping Longshot on the shoulder. They glanced at each other. "I'm glad you approve."

"Well we should get some nicer threads," Smellerbee pointed out. "Should we meet back here around sunset?"

"Sounds good," Toph and Sokka both replied. The two groups parted ways.

Sokka sighed. "Guess we have to go back to the boarding house and get our party clothes," he said, sounding tired.

"Aw come on, Sokka," Toph teased. "Didn't you have fun at the last one?"

Sokka just grumbled to himself and went off to start the truck. Toph followed him, peppering him with snide comments all the while.

Aang and Katara were left alone on the sidewalk.

They shared a heated look.

"Think you can hold off yelling at me for a whole evening?" Aang asked, voice low.

"Hmmm," Katara frowned at him as if sizing him up. "We'll see."

"Gee, thanks for the benefit of the doubt," he snapped.

"What are you so angry about?" Katara asked coldly. "Your best friend didn't turn out to be a liar."

"We'll see," he replied just as icily.

"What do you mean?" Katara hissed. "What have I lied to you about?"

"What have I lied to you about?" Aang shot back.

"You said it yourself," Katara whispered fiercely. "You're only my friend because you want me."

Aang sputtered, flailing for an answer. "Well… well… but you… isn't that at least flattering?"

If looks could kill, Aang would have been long dead by the time Katara marched over to Sokka's truck and slammed the passenger door behind her.


	29. Chapter 29

_So why is it that I don't post anything for like two months, then crank out two chapters and a oneshot within like four days? I don't know how to pace myself._

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CHAPTER 29

"Well, this is it."

Sokka and Toph stood arm in arm in front of the Laogai Hotel. Beside them, Jet, Longshot, and Smellerbee stood in considerably nicer clothes than those they'd been wearing hours earlier.

Behind all of them stood Aang and Katara, Katara in her dress and Aang in his accidentally-on-purpose matching suit. Aang's hands were in his pockets, Katara's arms were crossed over her chest, and they were standing with six feet of space and silence between them.

"Another fancy party," Sokka sighed.

"Yeah, but his time it's a DAR function," Toph sighed as well. "Old women and old husbands, pretending to be some charitable thing but really just trying to marry off their grandkids."

Everyone looked at her.

"You sound like you speak from experience," Jet pointed out.

Toph sighed again. "Let's just go in," she grumbled. After a few steps, however, she called over her shoulder. "Hey, Twinkle Toes. At this point, you're basically the worst escort ever."

Aang let out a sigh of his own and closed the space between himself and Katara, offering her his arm. She took it without looking at him and the seven of them entered the hotel. Ben was still at the front desk. Katara smiled and gave him a wink. Aang started walking faster. Katara had to speed up the stay in step with him. He smirked. She scowled and stomped on his foot.

The reception hall of the Laogai Hotel was big and luxurious. There was a stage on one end where the band was playing, a massive dance floor in the center surrounded by tables, a massive chandelier, and waiters dressed in tails ferrying food around the room.

"Wow," Jet said, impressed.

"Come, bodyguard," Toph said imperiously, dragging Sokka off to a table. The others followed.

Each round table seated eight. Toph found one of several empty ones. There were place cards at each setting, which the seven of them surreptitiously removed.

"Alright, what's the plan?" Toph asked once they were all settled.

"I thought you had a plan," Sokka hissed.

Toph shrugged, resisting the urge to kick her feet up on the table. "My job was to get us in," she said, rather uninterestedly. "We're in, the rest is up to you."

Sokka sighed heavily. "Okay… you guys go mingle, see if you can find anything out from the staff. Toph and I will go check out the basement. We'll give you a signal if we're clear to go down, okay?"

She didn't wait for an answer. Instead, she grabbed Sokka by the elbow and the two of them disappeared.

"Is she always like this?" Jet asked lowly.

"Yes," Aang and Katara replied in unison.

Smellerbee cracked her knuckles. "Well, time to mingle," she said lightly. She, Jet, and Longshot departed from the table.

It was nearly ten minutes before Katara finally glanced at Aang. "Well?" she asked.

"What?" Aang replied shortly.

"Are we going to help?"

"Don't really feel like it."

Katara bristled. "You're an ass," she snarled under her breath. Aang turned and scowled at her.

"Oh really," he growled. "Putting me on the same level as Jet again?" He grabbed her by the wrist and yanked her to her feet. She was too shocked to offer up any resistance. "Well can Jet dance?"

"What?" she whispered, stunned. He didn't respond, just smirked and pulled her rather roughly to the sparsely populated dance floor. He turned and pulled her against him, sliding one hand up her back and taking hers in the other.

"Well?" he whispered, pulling on her hand and leading her through the first steps of a tango.

Katara regained her wits almost instantly, keeping in step with him with an ease that he found irritating.

"Well what?" she hissed, not even missing a step when he spun her out and pulled her back to his chest hard enough to knock out his own breath. She smirked. "I'm waiting to be impressed."

Aang exhaled heavily through his nose. He leaned close to her, savagely delighted to see her eyes widen and a blush spread across her cheeks.

"You drive me insane," he whispered, lips tickling her ear. Before she could form a response, he turned and dipped her. She clapped a hand over her mouth to stop from shrieking. He was holding her barely a foot off the floor and she was completely at his mercy. A fact he intended to abuse.

All of a sudden, Aang was leaning down toward her. His nose and mouth met her neck. She gasped and swallowed hard when she felt him getting both the smell and the taste of her off the sensitive skin under her jaw. He lifted his head and smirked at her.

"Pretend _that_ didn't happen," he hissed, pulling her back to her feet.

Katara flushed. A dangerous spark of darkness entered her eyes. The hand that he was holding suddenly moved, lacing her fingers with his. He blinked in surprise. Her other hand, on his shoulder, tightened painfully until her nails were digging into his skin.

She leaned forward this time, turning and brushing her lips over his cheek. "Two can play at that game, Sparky," she whispered against his skin. She smiled and started murmuring in his ear. To the outsider, she seemed every inch the infatuated teenager. "I drive you insane, huh?" she whispered, still wearing a false smile. "I would be sorry, but I make a point of not feeling remorse over people like you."

"Like me?" he asked through gritted teeth, unnerved by her lips remaining so close for so long.

"Please," she hissed, and he shivered. Her nails dug into his shoulder again. He winced. "You stabbed me in the back."

At the mention of her back, Aang slid his hand down a little further. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"I didn't stab you anywhere, Dollface," he growled.

"Oh, and you're a liar too," she continued, dragging her hand from his shoulder down to his chest and drumming her fingers on his abdomen. He groaned. "And by the way, I'm still not impressed."

Aang spun her again, but this time he pulled her back against his chest and settled his hands tightly on her hips. Katara finally missed a step. She was reminded strongly about a certain dream she had rather recently…

"What's wrong, Dollface?" he hissed in her ear. He inhaled and sighed, breath fluttering against her neck. "Did I touch a nerve?" He dug his fingertips into the soft skin of her hips a little and she jumped. He laughed lowly. "Seems like I did."

Katara gritted her teeth and reached back, hand sliding up his chest until she found what she was looking for. His tie. She smirked and took a firm hold on it, yanking it over her shoulder. He was instantly dislodged from her hips as his chest slammed into her shoulder blades.

"Do I have your attention?" she whispered in his ear, which was now right next to her mouth. He gagged. "Good. Don't you think for a second that you've touched anything inside me, not my nerves, not my…" She paused, breath catching. He gagged again, and she released him. He took a step away from her, straightening his now hopelessly stretched tie. "Not my heart," she whispered, and she stormed off the dance floor.

She didn't think Aang heard her.

He did.

0000000

Toph snorted. "Well at least everyone is distracted."

"By what?" Sokka asked curiously.

"Nothing," she said innocently, not wanting to relate what she had felt happening in the ballroom.

Sokka shrugged. "Well we should signal the others, the guards aren't here and you can break the door down."

"Too right you are."

0000000

"Hey, Kaya."

Katara glanced up from where she was sitting at the table, thoroughly miserable. Smellerbee and Longshot were beside her.

"Sai just found Don, she says we're all set," Smellerbee said. Katara nodded absently and got to her feet. Aang was already with Jet at the front desk. Katara blushed and looked away from him. Ben glanced between the two of them.

"Uh…" he began. Smellerbee shot him a look and he shut up.

"Come on," Jet said, gesturing to the other side of the desk. They followed him to a door at the end of a quiet hallway. At least, it would have been quiet if Toph wasn't ripping the door off its hinges.

"Appa," Aang said suddenly, racing to the end of the hall and through the doorway.

"What did he say?" Sokka asked looking after him.

"Shh," Katara whispered. They all fell silent. Somewhere in the dark hallway, a dog was barking. "It's Appa," she gasped, and she took off after Aang. The others were quick to follow.

"Appa!" Aang shouted as he raced down a long hallway lined with thick metal doors. "Appa, where are you?"

The dog started barking louder and Aang picked up speed.

"Aang," Katara called after him. "Aang be careful!"

The others found him outside a door near the end of the hallway, pounding on the metal surface. "Toph, Toph you have to help me!" he shouted.

Toph shoved him out of the way. "Calm down," she snorted. The door was metal, sure, but the wall around it was stone. She jammed her fingers into the wall on either side, and with a loud crunch the door was lifted away. Toph hadn't even tossed it aside when a big furry sheepdog came bounding out of the cell and tackled Aang to the ground.

"Appa, buddy!" he laughed, tears in his eyes. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

Appa barked excitedly, licking Aang's face while he laughed. Katara couldn't help it. She was immediately on her knees beside him, her hands in Appa's fur as she laughed with him.

"Good to see you again," she laughed when Appa turned and licked her face too.

Before she knew it, Aang's hand was on her back while they sat beside each other on the floor, rubbing Appa's furry stomach. She glanced at him, but he didn't seem to notice what he had done.

"Hey guys," Jet said quietly. "Maybe this isn't the best place for a reunion."

"Too right you are."

The all turned in surprise. A thin man with a black mustache and an impeccably clean dark green suit was standing behind them, flanked by Prohibition Officers.

"I believe you were looking for me, Avatar," he said, his voice low and smooth.

"Long Feng?" Aang asked.

"Correct."

Aang got quickly to his feet. Katara slowly followed suit.

"Why did you have my dog down here?" Aang demanded angrily.

Long Feng shrugged. "To keep you busy. I couldn't have you running around without a purpose, ruining the delicate balance of my city, now could I?"

Aang clenched his fists and ground his teeth in anger. Normally, Katara would have placed a hand on his shoulder to keep him calm. But she just stood behind him, directing a cool gaze at Long Feng.

"Why are you doing this?" Sokka shouted suddenly. "If people knew what was going on in Omashu, maybe they could help."

"But if people don't know, they are at peace," Long Feng reasoned. "Now I believe you have my property. I paid for that dog."

"He was stolen!" Katara burst out. "Buying stolen property doesn't really count, now does it?"

"True," Long Feng sighed. "But you have trespassed, so I can arrest you anyway." The Officers behind him leapt forward, and all of a sudden the hallway became a battle ground. Out of the corner of her eye, Katara saw Long Feng sprinting to the end of the hallway, Aang and Jet in hot pursuit.

"Aang!" she shouted, but she was immediately distracted by several stone fingers missing her face by inches.

Long Feng stopped at the end of the hallway in front of the door that presumably led to the police station. The hallway was long, and they were out of sight of the others.

"Give it up," Jet snarled, pulling out his twin handguns and pointing them at Long Feng. "You're outnumbered."

Long Feng smirked. "You'd think that," he said lightly. "Jet, the mayor has invited you to the Laogai Hotel."

Jet froze. Aang glanced at him. He slumped forward slightly, then looked up, pupils dilating.

"I am honored to accept his invitation," he said flatly. Suddenly, he turned and fired six shots at Aang in rapid succession. Aang barely managed to avoid them.

"Jet, what are you doing?" Aang shouted, but he had to jump to avoid more bullets.

"I'm afraid he won't be listening to you anytime soon," Long Feng said with a smirk.

0000000

Katara and the others finally disposed of all the Prohibition Officers. They had a bare moment to catch their breath before gunfire rang out down the hall. Katara whipped around in surprise.

"Aang!" she called, sprinting down the hall with the others hot on her heels.

0000000

"Jet, why the hell are you listening to this guy?" Aang shouted, still just dodging out of the way. Jet didn't respond and kept firing.

"Do your duty, Jet," Long Feng said firmly. Jet snarled and lined up another shot.

"He can't make you do this!" Aang roared. "You're not a puppet, you're a gangster like the rest of us!"

Jet paused, guns still trained on Aang.

"Do it!" Long Feng shouted. "Do it now!"

Jet smirked and whipped around, firing at Long Feng. Aang grinned. Long Feng rose a pillar of earth before himself and the bullets sank into it. Before either boys could react, the pillar shot straight at Jet and exploded in a shower of dust. By the time it cleared, Aang saw Jet lying motionless on the ground.

"Foolish boy," Long Feng scoffed. "You've chosen your own demise."

He turned and fled through the door behind him.

Aang skidded to the ground beside Jet, horrified. He coughed and blinked up at him.

"Sorry, Aang," he said weakly.

Aang shook his head. "Me too," he said quietly.

"Aang!" Katara shouted as she came running into sight. "Aang, are you…" She stopped, and the others halted behind her. "Jet?"

Smellerbee gasped and fell to her knees beside him. "Jet!"

Katara knelt beside Aang with an odd look on her face. She didn't have her water skin, so she condensed the water in the air as she had done fighting the Prohibition Officers moments before and reached for Jet's chest. She exhaled slowly and closed her eyes, and the water began to glow. Jet flinched, but otherwise nothing seemed to happen. Katara opened her eyes and dropped the water to the ground.

"It doesn't look good," she said quietly, a halting tone to her voice.

Smellerbee looked up at her. "You guys go on," she said firmly. "Get Appa out of here."

"We can't just-" Sokka began.

"We'll take care of him," Longshot said quietly. Everyone turned and stared at him. "Go on. He's our responsibility. We'll take care of him."

Jet looked over at Katara, smiling a little. "I'll be fine," he said. "Go on."

Katara gazed at him thoughtfully for several long seconds before she nodded slowly. "Okay," she said quietly. Then she frowned, leaned down, and kissed his cheek. "I forgive you," she whispered. He closed his eyes, smiling.

Katara got to her feet, Aang behind her. The two of them followed Long Feng out the door, Sokka and Toph behind them and Appa bounding along beside Aang.

"He's lying," Toph whispered. Katara didn't respond.

The four of them emerged in the basement of the police station. It looked quite similar to the hallway they had just left, lined with metal cell doors. They all came to a stop just inside the door.

"What do we do now?" Aang asked quietly. Katara remained silent as she idly scratched Appa's ears when his wet nose bumped against her hand.

"We should do something about Long Feng," Toph said darkly.

Sokka sighed. "We should go to the mayor."

Katara looked at him strangely. "The mayor?" she asked doubtfully. "Sokka, you know he can't help us."

Aang glanced at her. "Why not?"

Katara looked at her feet. "The mayor of Ba Sing Sei has been nothing but a figurehead for years. The Prohibition Officers control everything, including him. He's a complete recluse, nobody but Long Feng has seen him in months at least."

Sokka nodded. "But we still have to try."

She shrugged. "Okay, but first we have to get out of here alive."

Toph cracked her knuckles. "Stay behind me," she said with a grin, and she took off running down the hall.

Aang and Hakoda's Kids weren't entirely sure what Toph's plan was when they started after her, but it became abundantly clear when they came upon the first set of Prohibition Officers.

"Hey, freeze!" one of them shouted, but Toph just tucked and rolled, bending a suit of armor out of the stone floor and slamming the two officers into a cell door with her rock-encased hands.

"Try to keep up," she said, her voice sounding low and eerie through the stone. She sprinted off down the hall again, sending a resounding tremor through the ground with every step.

"You have to admit," Sokka said, grinning, as they raced after her. "That little girl has style."

"I'm gonna let that 'little girl' comment slide," Toph called back, swiftly disposing of three more Officers. "But just this once."

Sokka chuckled. "Okay, would you prefer 'badass?'"

"It'll do."

The three of them had to duck as two more guards sailed over their heads and crashed to the ground.

"Hey Appa," Aang laughed, looking down at his dog loping along beside him. "Race you!"

Appa barked and the two of them started pulling away from the siblings. Katara smiled rather miserably.

"You okay?" Sokka asked, panting slightly from running. They carefully weaved around the Officers strewn across the floor.

"Yep," Katara lied, staring straight ahead.

Sokka looked like he was about to say something else, but then Toph's voice called back.

"Door ahead."

With another loud crash, the basement door was flattened to the ground and the four of them raced up the stairs. They came out behind the desk in the main lobby of the police station which was crowded with Prohibition Officers, Long Feng at the lead.

"Good to see you again," he said calmly. Toph cracked her knuckles again, made all the more intimidating by the fact that they were armored in solid rock.

"I would ask nicely for you to move," she growled. "But this is much more fun." And she barreled into their midst. Sokka pulled out his handgun and followed her. Aang took a deep, settling breath and plunged after them, his progress marked by blasts of air throwing groups of Prohibition Officers out of the way. Katara took a moment longer than the other, condensing a great deal of water from the air around her before leaping into the fray. Appa, on the other hand, went straight for Long Feng and sank his teeth into the man's leg.

"Keep moving for the door!" Aang called from somewhere within the sea of Officers. The four of them made it there within several violent seconds and sprinted for Sokka's truck. Toph shed her rock armor and jumped into the back with Aang and Appa just in time for Sokka to peel away from the curb and roar off down the street.

"Well," Sokka sighed, grimacing at his sister. "You can't say our lives are boring."


	30. Chapter 30

_I LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE. Sorry about the wait, I know you tire of hearing of it... but I've been surprisingly busy considering I was on a break from school and all. But here it is! Hurrah! ...?_

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CHAPTER 30

The four of them traipsed into the boarding house around midnight, completely exhausted. Toph, needless to say, had fallen asleep along the ride and Sokka was carrying her.

"We go for the mayor in a few hours," Sokka said quietly when they reached the hallway in front of their rooms. "Long Feng will expect us to wait until morning, so we can get a jump on them."

Toph muttered in her sleep and one corner of Sokka's mouth twitched up. Aang just nodded and walked into his room with Appa without a word. Katara sighed.

"What happened there?" Sokka asked lightly, following Katara into her room.

"Nothing," Katara muttered, crashing on her bed. Sokka carefully tucked Toph in. He gave her a look. Katara frowned. "Just… nothing."

Sokka shook his head. "Okay, sure," he replied doubtfully. "See you in a couple hours."

"Yep," Katara said noncommittally. Sokka left.

Katara, regardless of her exhaustion, didn't sleep that morning.

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The city was still quiet in the cool predawn hour that found Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph standing on the sidewalk before the mayor's mansion. The old uptown property showed significant signs of its occupant's reclusive behavior. The low stone wall all around the lawn was overgrown with ivy, the iron gate was rusting on its hinges. Newspapers lied in a soggy heap beneath a full mailbox.

"Real party animal, this one," Toph muttered, hands on her hips.

Katara sighed and looked at her feet. "So what's the plan, Sokka?" she asked, voice tired and flat.

"Crash the gate, ring the doorbell, hope for the best," Sokka rattled off. He reached up and straightened his fedora. "From there, we make it up as we go along."

"You should know, it's not going to be that easy," Toph sighed.

The four took a long, final moment to look up at the old mansion. They all knew it wouldn't be as easy as that, so they came prepared. Katara and Toph were no longer in dresses, opting for their work suits. Toph was barefoot, Katara had a full canteen at her hip. Sokka and Aang were back in their old suits and fedoras, Sokka with his gun and Aang with his antique airbender staff.

A morning mist rolled into the city while they stood preparing themselves.

"Okay, let's go," Sokka said at length. Aang whirled his staff and sent a slice of air toward the gate. With a resounding clatter, the lock broke and the gate sprang open. The four of them started running up the long, misty drive.

They had barely gotten through the gate when it became clear that Long Feng hadn't wasted any time posting all the Prohibition Officers he could spare between the gate and the mansion.

"Oh…" Katara uttered, the four of them coming to a stop. The lawn was wide and sparse, just unkempt grass and a neat row of apple trees on either side of the lawn. There were rose bushes along the inside of the garden wall, most of which were overgrown with tangled vines of ivy. Standing in lines behind the apple trees were several dozen Prohibition Officers.

Toph cleared her throat. "Like I said," she said quietly. "Not as easy as you hoped."

"You couldn't have warned us about this?" Sokka hissed.

Toph raised her hands defensively. "I thought you could see them."

"Through the wall?"

"There was a gate, wasn't there?"

"Then why do you suppose I didn't mention fighting an army in the plan?"

"I thought you were being sarcastic! That's what you do!"

"Really bad time for this," Katara said through her teeth, grinning innocently at the nearest officer and taking a step back.

"Okay, plan B," Sokka growled, pulling out his gun and firing three shots before the Officers had time to react.

"I like plan B," Toph shouted, racing toward the nearest Officer and tossing him bodily into a rose bush.

Katara and Aang shared a glance and frowned at each other. They simultaneously moved into action, Aang whirling his staff and Katara whipping out a thick ribbon of water, each knocking half a dozen Officers in different directions.

"Keep moving," Sokka shouted, punching an Officer in the face and sending him reeling.

"What do you think we're doing?" Toph called sarcastically as she tossed several Officers into the air on pillars of earth.

Aang and Katara had somehow ended up back to back, enclosed in a tight circle of Officers. Katara was used to fighting this way, she and Sokka had been in beefs like this a hundred times. So she was relaxed enough to realize how close she was to him, and how broken her heart was by the incredible distance she felt from him.

Aang, on the other hand, wasn't nearly as used to such situations, so his focus was on the Officers. Completely. He wasn't thinking of Katara at all. Not at all. He wasn't thinking of her warm back pressed to his. He wasn't thinking of the soft, even breaths he could feel her taking. He wasn't thinking of her hair brushing against the back of his neck. No sir. That would be ridiculous.

"Katara," he said quietly.

"Yes?" her reply was instant, but calm.

Aang had nowhere to go from there. He'd said her name by accident. On impulse. Frankly, he'd never been faced with this situation before.

"Um…" he stammered, ears turning red. "Stay behind me."

"Okay."

With a great sweeping motion, Aang whirled his staff around in a wide circle, Katara ducking slightly and moving with him to remain out of the way. In seconds, the Officers were thrown from their feet, and Katara didn't waste any time pulling away from him and racing after Toph and Sokka. Aang stumbled after her.

The four of them made it up the drive without much further incident, aside from the Prohibition Officers attacking them from all sides. Aang was making easy work of them with his staff, brushing them aside like dust bunnies . Toph opted for launching as many into the air as she could while Katara left an army of frozen statues behind her. Sokka just kept shooting people, grumbling to himself all the while.

Katara reached the door first and froze it solid in seconds. One kick square in the center shattered the heavy wood and sent the old brass knob and knocker clanking across the entrance hall.

"We're in," she called back to the others as she skidded to a stop in the dark entrance hall. "Mister Mayor?" she shouted, looking around. There was a single door on her right and a staircase directly in front of her. She frowned and poked her head back out the front door. "Guys, hurry up!" She ducked back inside seconds later as several stone hands banged against the siding.

Sokka dove through the door next, followed by Aang. Toph brought up the rear and stamped a great stone slab out of the ground to block the open doorway. The hall fell silent and dark. Everyone paused to catch their breath.

"What did you shatter the door for, you crazy bearcat?" Sokka demanded of his sister as soon as he regained a regular breathing pattern.

Katara glared. "Dry up, Sokka, it was the fastest way in," she snapped, shaking her canteen to check how much water was left.

"Man, when I'm done with you distilled brats I'll be in the best shape of my life," Toph said grumpily, bend double as she caught her breath.

Aang remained silent, removing his hat and brushing off some residual dust.

"Okay," Sokka finally sighed. "Let's find the mayor." A loud bang resounded in the room as something struck their makeshift door. "Fast."

"Nobody on this floor," Toph said, stretching her shoulders. "We have to move up."

Without another word, the four of them crept up the stairs. There were no lights on in the house, only dull morning light dripping through shafts in the shudders. Everyone turned to Toph when they reached the landing.

"I think that's his office there," she pointed to the nearest door. There was a dusty light emerging from beneath the door. Sokka nodded and swung it open without preamble.

"Mister Mayor," he said with a respectful bow of his head. The other three followed suit. When they all looked up, four mouths turned down into frowns. At a wide, polished oak desk sat the mayor of Ba Sing Se, wearing a three piece suit and small round glasses. Standing at his left was Long Feng.

"Good to see you again, children," Long Feng said, his oily voice prompting Sokka to grind his teeth.

"Don't listen to a thing he says!" Toph bellowed, pointing a menacing finger at Long Feng. "He's a crook."

"And a liar," Katara added.

"Yeah," Aang finished rather lamely. "He's a lying crook."

Everyone glanced at him. He cleared his throat and became very interested in his shoes.

The mayor frowned. "I'm sorry, uh…. Who are you people again?"

Long Feng rolled his eyes.

"I'm the Avatar," Aang blurted. "And Long Feng stole my dog to keep us quiet about what's really happening in Omashu."

The mayor blinked owlishly. "What's happening in Omashu?" he asked genuinely.

The four of them stared.

"You really… you really don't know?" Katara said skeptically.

"Know what?"

"Don't listen to them Mister Mayor," Long Feng said quietly. "These are the anarchists I was talking about. They're nothing but a bunch of gangsters."

"Maybe so," Sokka replied loudly. "But we're the best damn gangsters the world has ever known."

"Not helping," Katara sighed.

Sokka glanced at her. "Right, sorry. Mister Mayor, Long Feng is lying to you. We're not anarchists, we just came here looking for Aang's dog. And it turns out, Long Feng bought it from the Dragons who stole it with the intention of keeping us from telling you about Omashu."

"Really, what's happening in Omashu?" the mayor demanded, irritated.

"It's the Dragon Gang," Katara replied instantly. "They've taken over the city and they're destroying it from the inside out. Every day more people go missing, more homes are burned down, more families are forced to flee for their lives. The four of us are the only force standing between Boss Ozai and the innocent population. The city is suffering." She glanced at Sokka. "We need help."

The mayor didn't respond for quite some time. The four of them shuffled uncomfortably. Finally, he looked up at Katara.

"I don't understand," he said slowly. "Why would such a thing be kept secret from me?"

"It's simple," Sokka said darkly, directing a stony gaze at Long Feng. "He's in cahoots with the Dragons."

Toph blinked in surprise. Aang and Katara glanced over at him. Long Feng scoffed.

"What evidence do you have to support this claim?" he asked in a decidedly patronizing tone.

"I wouldn't call it evidence exactly," Sokka continued seriously. Katara rolled her eyes and Aang let out a heavy sigh. "But it's the only reason that makes any sense."

"Good point," Toph muttered sarcastically. Sokka scowled at her.

The mayor shrugged. "I'm sorry, but I can't take your word over that of my most trusted adviser just because it makes sense," he said simply.

"Mister Mayor," Aang said quickly. "If you would come with us, we could introduce you to a family that had to flee their home in Omashu because of the Dragons."

"Come with you?" the mayor said doubtfully.

"Out of the question," Long Feng snapped.

"Come on, what do you have to lose?" Toph demanded.

The mayor seemed to think about it for a long time. "Well I guess I haven't been out of the house in a while…"

Sokka and Katara exchanged a glance.

"Sir, I must advise you to-" Long Feng began.

"Alright, I'll do it," the mayor cut him off with an excited grin. "I can't even remember the last time I've been in the city." He got to his feet and straightened his jacket. Long Feng didn't seem to know quite what to do. "So, where are we going?"

Aang gave him a subdued smile. "The hospital."

0000000

"Boy, there sure are a lot of people out here!"

Sokka glanced at the mayor, who was sitting shotgun in the truck and calling out excitedly about every perfectly normal aspect of city life he laid his eyes on. Aang, Katara, and Toph were all in the back, discussing their rather odd situation.

"It's been a few days," Aang sighed. "What if Than and his family checked out already?"

"We'll just ask someone where they went," Toph said simply. "Don't worry so much."

Katara didn't say anything. Aang looked at her. "Nothing to add?" he asked, a little more coolly than he intended.

She didn't even look at him, though her gaze cooled and her posture stiffened at his tone. "No," she replied.

The remainder of the ride was silent.


	31. Chapter 31

_I know what you're all thinking, so I'm just gonna say it for you._

_SHIT LYRA WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG?_

_Honestly, I don't have a good answer. And for that I do apologize. I've just been busy with school and work is all. But I found some time and finished this one, so at least I haven't quit, right?_

_

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_

CHAPTER 31

"Aang! What are you doing here?"

Aang grinned when he and the others entered the small hospital room.

"Hello Than," he said cheerfully, shaking the older man's hand. "I'm so glad you're still here. But…" he trailed off, glancing at Ying who was asleep in a chair by the window. "I'm a little surprised. Do they usually keep newborns here this long?"

Than looked at his feet, shaking his head. "Hope was premature," he said quietly. "She's very small and they're worried some of her internal organs haven't had enough time to develop, so they want to keep her here for a while."

Katara stepped past Aang and placed a gentle hand on Than's shoulder. "She'll be okay," she said quietly, offering him a comforting smile. "I'm sure of it."

Than sighed, smiling tiredly. "Thank you, Katara." He shook his head briskly and tried to look a little more cheerful. "So what brings you all here?" He glanced at the mayor, a face he didn't recognize.

Aang scratched the back of his head. "Well…" he sighed. "This might take a little while. Is there anywhere we can sit and talk? I don't want to wake Ying."

The corners of Katara's mouth turned up just a bit. Nobody noticed.

"Sure, I'll take you to the nursery."

0000000

While Aang, Sokka, Than, and the mayor spoke quietly in the hallway, Katara stood before the large window looking into the nursery. Toph was leaning back against in rather uninterestedly, but Katara couldn't take her eyes off the rows of tiny lives on the other side of the glass.

"They're beautiful," she whispered.

Toph shrugged. "They all seem pretty much the same to me," she muttered.

Katara glanced at her. "Do you ever wish you could see?" she asked quietly.

Toph grinned. "How blunt of you, Sugar Queen," she said. Katara blushed in embarrassment, but Toph just laughed. "I don't mind, I'm just impressed is all. To answer your question, no, I've actually never wished I could see."

"Not even before you learned to earthbend?"

"Nope. I get by just fine the way I am. Better than a lot of people who can see. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?"

Katara smiled. "Right." She turned her eyes back to the nursery.

"How old are you, Katara?" Toph asked suddenly.

Katara frowned. "Sixteen. Haven't I ever told you?"

"Nope. I was just wondering since you seem a little young to want kids already."

Katara blushed again. "I don't want kids already," she stammered. "I mean… someday, yeah, but not now."

"You do realize a guy is required in there somewhere."

Katara scowled. "Thanks Toph," she sighed.

She shrugged. "Hey, what kind of bandit would I be if I actually allowed that to be a nice moment between us?" she snickered.

Katara smirked. "Right, good save."

"Goodness, it can't be!"

Katara and Toph glanced over in surprise. Than had just finished telling the mayor his story. The mayor was pacing the hallway, throwing his hands in the air.

"A refugee! In this day and age! Why it just boggles the mind!" he exclaimed.

Toph frowned. "He talks funny," she said flatly. Katara shushed her.

"Long Feng has been lying to you," Sokka said. "He's been controlling the whole city ever since he convinced you to go into seclusion."

"Right," the mayor burst out, coming to a halt and drawing himself up to his full height. "I'll have my personal guard arrest him at once."

And with that he charged out of the hospital.

Aang stared after him. "Uh oh, we'd better follow him." He raced after the mayor, Sokka on his heels.

Katara rolled her eyes. "It was nice to see you again Than," she said hastily as she and Toph took off.

"You too, Katara," he called after her, smiling in amusement.

The four of them piled into Sokka's truck and chased after the mayor, who was stomping down the sidewalk. They caught up to him and had to coax him into the passenger seat. He was rather wound up. But they did get the city hall quite a bit faster than he would have on his own.

The arrest took minutes. The mayor stormed into city hall and laid down the order. Long Feng was in handcuffs sixty seconds later.

"This is preposterous," Long Feng shouted. "Everything these children have told you is a lie!"

"Then explain what I heard at the hospital," the mayor replied, crossing his arms over his chest.

Long Feng shook his head and sighed. "You would hold the word of one commoner over mine, your most trusted adviser?" he asked, attempting to sound disappointed, but he just ended up sounding rather oily.

The mayor appeared to think about it for a moment. Aang and Sokka exchanged looks of alarm. Long Feng sensed his advantage.

"This silly story about me stealing their dog," he snorted. "It's ridiculous. I've never been near their dog."

"You have so!" Aang blurted. "And I can prove it."

All eyes turned to Aang. He strode up to Long Feng, bent down, and yanked up one of the legs of his pants. Everyone stared, but Aang looked up with a grin. "See?" he asked excitedly, pointing. "Appa bit him!"

Sure enough, Appa's bite mark from their wild escape from the Laogai Hotel was still visible on Long Feng's leg.

"I've heard enough," the mayor said loudly. "Take him away."

They could hear Long Feng shouting as he was dragged away.

The entirety of city hall seemed glad to have the mayor back and he was enjoying it. He shook hands with Hakoda's Kids and their accomplices numerous times over.

"Well now I know the truth," he sighed, grinning at them. The four of them exchanged glances. For a mayor, he seemed pretty childish. "And now I need a plan of action. I'm appointing the four of you as my advisers in this matter."

Saying they were surprised was an understatement, considering they were all wanted criminals.

"We start work first thing in the morning," he declared. "Be here at nine o' clock tomorrow. Now go get some rest." And he strode off into the bowels of city hall.

"Did we just become bureaucrats?" Toph asked loudly after a long silence.

"I think so…" Sokka muttered. He shook his head. "Well you heard the man. Let's get back to Billie's, I'm exhausted."

0000000

"Billie?"

Billie turned around, smiling gently when she saw Katara climbing the fire escape to her secret place on the roof.

"Hey, darling," she called, patting the roof beside her. "Have a seat."

Katara grinned and sat beside her, taking a moment to soak in the night. "I've always loved this place," she sighed comfortably.

"Hmm," Billie hummed thoughtfully, glancing at Katara. "What's on your mind?"

Katara looked down. "What makes you think there's something on my mind?" she asked, her tone guarded.

"You can't hide anything from me, young lady," Billie said with a smile. "Now tell me what's bothering you."

"It's Aang," Katara said flatly.

"I know," Billie replied. "Go on."

Katara shot her a sharp glance. "What do you mean you know?"

Billie laughed. "Darling, only a boy could get you in this kind of a tizzy."

Katara sighed heavily. "Hmm. Tizzy." She started idly twisting some lose strands of hair around her index finger. "I suppose you could call it a tizzy."

"Just tell me what's wrong," Billie said soothingly, reaching over and pulling her into a one armed hug. Katara sighed, leaning her head on the older woman's shoulder.

"I just don't know what to do," she said quietly, distress evident in her voice. "We got in a fight."

"Odd, I thought lovers quarrels were reserved for lovers," Billie teased lightly.

Katara smiled rather miserably. "I guess… but it's really bad, Billie. I miss talking to him."

"So do something about it."

Katara glanced at her. She just smiled gently.

"Come on, darling. You can figure this out. Just stop thinking reasonably and do what your heart tells you."

Katara blinked in surprise. "Stop thinking reasonably?"

"Sure. Why not?"

Katara looked down. She didn't speak for a long time. When she did, Billie had to lean closer to hear her whisper, "I'm scared."

This time, Billie was surprised. "Scared? Shoot, what have you ever been scared of?"

Katara bit her lip and looked away. "He scares me, Billie. I've never felt this way about anyone."

"Ah, that kind of scared," Billie sighed. She reached up and brushed a hand through Katara's hair. Katara smiled. Billie had been around when Katara's mother was raising her. She knew what her mother used to do to calm her down, and Katara would be grateful for Billie taking over where her mother left off until the day she died. "Well, falling in love for the first time can be pretty scary."

Katara stiffened. "I'm not in love with him."

"Hm? Oh sure," Billie rolled her eyes, smiling indulgently, but Katara didn't notice. "Then how do you feel about him?"

Katara groaned and buried her face in Billie's shoulder. "I don't know," she said flatly, her voice muffled in Billie's jacket.

"Then isn't it entirely possible that you love him?"

Katara didn't respond for a long time. Billie left her to her thoughts, a hand still running through her hair.

"I guess…" Katara began eventually. Billie smiled. "It's possible. But… but highly improbable."

Billie laughed again and Katara couldn't help but smile. "You are just like your mother," she sighed.

"How so?"

"I had to twist her arm to get her to admit she loved your father."

Katara sighed heavily. "Well even if you did get me to admit to something I don't even know, it doesn't matter now. I think I've ruined everything between us." She paused, swallowing hard. "But I don't think I'm wrong."

"We have enough fighting in our lives," Billie said quietly. "If he cares for you the way you care for him, he'll meet you halfway." She turned and kissed the top of Katara's head. "Somebody just needs to take the first step."

"I don't know if I can," Katara murmured.

"Why not?"

Katara let out another frustrated groan. "I'm screwed up, Billie." Billie immediately began to interject, but Katara stopped her. "It's true and you know it. I love you, Billie, but you're not my mother. You've helped me so much, and I know you'll keep helping me, but I still lost her, and it made me the way I am. I'm… I'm damaged goods."

"Katara…" Billie sighed sadly, but Katara just shook her head.

"This isn't easy for me," she said lowly, looking at her feet. "Getting close to someone. Sokka thinks it's easier for me, but it isn't. I've never gotten close to someone like I have to Aang, and now we're like this…" She exhaled slowly, shaking her head. "I just… I need to know that I'm not crazy. I need to know that there is someone I can trust with all I am."

The two of them sat in silence for a little while. Finally, Billie turned and pulled Katara into a hug.

"My little Katara," she sighed. "I think what you need to decide now is whether or not Aang is that someone." Katara didn't respond. "I don't know what started this fight, but I've surmised that you blame him for something. No matter what it was he did, you can't punish him forever, darling."

"You're right," Katara sighed at length. "But… it might take me a little while."

"I'm not timing you," Billie teased. "The impression I got from Aang… well, it seems to me that he's willing to be patient with you."

Katara nodded just a little. She was silent for a bit, and Billie could feel her struggling with her breath.

"What is it?" she asked, concerned.

Katara took a sharp breath and closed her eyes. "I miss her, Billie."

Billie looked down and took in a heavy breath of her own. "I know, darling, I know…"

Katara didn't respond, but Billie could still feel her breath hitching as she tried not to cry.

"You can cry, Katara."

"No," Katara whispered. "I can't."

"I miss her too," Billie murmured. "The world was sure a lot better when she was in it."

"Yeah… yeah it was…"

They fell into another long silence. When Katara finally felt ready to pull away, Billie smiled at her.

"Well, now we've got all the heavy stuff out of the way, what on earth did you kids get up to today?"

Katara laughed. "I don't think you'll believe me."

Billie grinned. "Try me."

0000000

"Morning."

Katara rubbed her eyes as she reached the bottom of the stairs and found the others waiting for her. She yawned and stretched her arms over her head.

"Sorry, guess I overslept," she murmured. She had stayed up half the night talking to Billie, after all.

Sokka shrugged. "It's alright, we're still pretty early."

"Early," Toph grumbled. "We should show up an hour late."

"Why?" Sokka asked, confused.

"We're not bureaucrats, Snoozles, we're gangsters," she pointed out sourly. "I think that weird mayor has the wrong impression of us."

"Probably," Aang sighed. He sounded tired, but nobody commented on it. "But we have to help him in order for him to help us."

"That kind of made sense," Sokka obliged after a long silence. He removed his hat and ran a hand distractedly through his hair. "Ah nuts to this, let's just get in the truck and go. Standing here talking about it isn't gonna help anyone."

They arrived at city hall ten minutes after the hour. They had been there earlier, but Toph refused to get out of the truck on principal, so they drove around the city for a while first. They were openly stared at as they traversed the polished wood floors, but not one of them seemed bothered by it. They made quite an impression, especially compared to the other occupants of the building in their trim little dresses and neat business suits. Four young rumrunners in trench coats and fedoras- the girls were wearing pants for goodness sake- were quite obviously out of place in these surroundings.

But the mayor seemed completely unruffled by it when he emerged into the main hall.

"Ah, there you are!" he called excitedly, meeting them at the front desk and shaking all of their hands. "Wonderful, let's get right to it." He abruptly turned and headed through a door behind the reception desk. The four of them exchanged bewildered glances before following him. He was chatting away as he walked briskly down a carpeted hall lined with offices. "I need you to tell me everything, all that I've missed about this conflict. I've been out of sorts for nearly three years, do you believe it?" He laughed. They stared.

The mayor ushered them into a conference room where a primly dressed woman was sitting at a typewriter. She looked a little alarmed at the sight of the four of them traipsing in, particularly when Toph sat down, kicked her bare feet up on the table, and burped. Aang, Katara, and Sokka arranged themselves beside her, both boys slouching in their seats and Katara leaning her elbows on the table. The woman swallowed hard and glanced doubtfully at the mayor.

"Alright kids, this is my stenographer, Judy," he said jovially. "Judy, this is Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph, my new advisers."

Sokka nodded, Aang tipped his hat, Katara gave a little wave, and Toph burped again. Judy stared. "Pleasure," she said after several moments. The mayor didn't seem to notice.

The four of them spent the next two hours going over everything they could think of that they deemed important to the cause. Sokka made only a passing mention of his mother's death. Katara didn't breach the subject at all, though Toph felt her stiffen when Sokka did. Aang's story was considerably shorter than Hakoda's Kids since he spent a year of it in a basement, but it seemed to carry a lot more weight to the mayor. Even the stenographer sniffed and dabbed at her eyes when Aang talked about the massacre of his family.

Finally it was Toph's turn. She cracked her knuckles, pounded a fist on the table, pointed at the mayor, and said firmly, "That crazy Azula girl tried to steal my winnings and now she's running a rigged election for mayor. That's just not right."

Toph said nothing else. Neither did anyone else, for that matter.

"Okay, so we have the background information," the mayor said at length, clapping his hands together. "Now we need a plan of action. The easiest path would be for me to speak to your mayor."

Sokka and Katara exchanged a look.

"What?"

"Well…" Katara began rather uncomfortably. "We don't exactly have a mayor."

"How is that possible?" the mayor asked, genuinely confused.

"He uh, vacated the seat three years ago," Sokka replied, twiddling his thumbs. Aang and Toph shot suspicious glances in their direction, but the mayor didn't seem to notice.

"Oh, okay. But why hasn't he been replaced? That should have been taken care of in a few months, not three years."

"That would be thanks to the Dragons," Katara sighed. "No candidate has lasted long. They keep 'vanishing.' The only reason Boss Ozai hasn't already put someone in office is because he's been grooming his insane daughter for it."

"Sounds like a fun family," the mayor said with a nervous laugh.

"Not in the least," Toph said flatly. "We hardly even mentioned Zuko."

"Boss Ozai's eldest," Sokka answered the mayor's unasked question. "He got the boot from the gang for some reason, now he's hell-bent on kidnapping Aang for some reason."

The mayor let out another nervous laugh. "Is there anyone that isn't after you kids?"

They exchanged a glance. Katara shrugged and said, "Pretty much just you."


	32. Chapter 32

_...I'm a jerk. Moving on._

_We're getting into the good stuff now, y'all!  
_

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CHAPTER 32

Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph trudged into the boarding house in the early afternoon. After telling the mayor everything they knew, they had been all but kicked out of city hall. There was work to be done, and a bunch of gangsters were apparently in the way during such proceedings.

"Bureaucracy is annoying," Toph said crossly as they all fell into chairs in the dining room.

"Agreed," the other three sighed in unison.

Several long, silent moments passed before Toph let out an irritated sigh.

"Well if everyone else is going to ignore the elephant in the room," she grunted. She sat up and leveled a finger at Sokka and Katara. "What in the hell did you two do to the last mayor of Omashu?"

Katara's cheeks turned pink and Sokka tugged at his collar.

"We didn't do anything per se…" Katara began delicately.

"Officially speaking, all we know is that the mayor had a family emergency to attend to out of the country and had to uh… go away," Sokka muttered.

"Officially speaking my ass," Toph snorted. "What's the true story?"

Katara and Sokka shared a glance. Katara finally broke, letting out a sigh.

"Look, the guy had it coming," she said defensively. "Dad had a deal with him, he was born a Riversider. But he started sending his officers sniffing too close to home, and well…" She trailed off uncomfortably.

Sokka finished for her. "You don't betray the Riversiders," he said flatly. "Plain and simple. The guy turned his back on his people, so Hakoda sent his best team after him for some uh… negotiation."

"You didn't kill him did you?" Aang asked blankly.

"No," Katara sighed again. "We just convinced him that his particular brand of loyalty would serve him better elsewhere. Somewhere far, far away."

"Well that clears that up," Toph let out another snort of laughter.

Aang shrugged. "I've always wondered why he left," he admitted quietly.

The four of them lapsed into another lengthy silence.

Toph groaned and stretched her limbs. "I'm about to go crazy here. I need to get out and do something." She got to her feet. "I'm going out, I'll meet you guys back here for dinner."

They all offered lazy waves of farewell as she rolled up her sleeves and left the boarding house. Sokka cracked his knuckles.

"You know, I think she's got the right idea," he sighed, rubbing his eyes. "I'm getting some fresh air. See you later."

He left Aang and Katara alone in the dining room. They glanced at each other.

"You really didn't kill him?" Aang blurted.

Katara frowned at him. "No, we didn't," she said quietly. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason," Aang muttered.

Katara tilted her head to the side. "You do realize that I'm a gangster, don't you Aang?" she said lowly. He glanced at her. "We're all gangsters. We kill people. I've killed people, Sokka has killed people, I wouldn't be surprised if Toph has killed people." Aang looked away. "Do you have some kind of problem with that?"

"Of course not," Aang snapped. "I'm a gangster too you know."

"I know."

The way she was looking at him was making him sweat. Far too much morbid curiosity.

"I should walk Appa," Aang blurted.

Katara shrugged, getting to her feet. "Alright," she said lightly. Aang stood up and followed her to the door.

"Wait, where are you going?" he asked, sounding much more suspicious than he intended. She glanced at him.

"Just going out for a breather," she said quietly, her tone rather halting and defensive. He nodded, embarrassed. "I'll see you."

Aang let out a heavy sigh and went upstairs to get his dog.

0000000

Toph went straight across the street to the Chatter House. She found the atmosphere to be relaxing and spent the remainder of the afternoon there. The Chatter House was always quiet until after sunset, so she was left alone as she preferred.

However, apparently a fifteen-year-old blind girl wearing a suit that was too big for her and foregoing shoes and socks altogether attracted some attention. At least the attention of two burly gentlemen dressed in black and gold.

"Scuse me little lady, but you look a lot like the Blind Bandit," the first man said, sitting down at Toph's table without invitation. Toph didn't open her eyes or remove her feet from the table. She just sighed.

"Who's asking?" she grunted disinterestedly.

"A couple of highly ranked earthbenders," the other man replied. "We've both seen you at Earth Rumble. Pretty big moves for such a little girl."

Toph let out another sigh of irritation. "And?"

"My buddy here thinks he can beat you," the first man said, shrugging and pointing a thumb in the direction of the second man.

"Bushwa. Any time, any place," Toph shot back.

The second man grinned. "I got time right now. There's an alley out back."

Toph groaned. "After I bump you off, will you leave me alone?" she ground out.

"Sure thing."

"Then let's get this over with."

Toph followed the men up out of the Chatter House and around back to the aforementioned alley. There was nothing there but a few empty crates and a large, rather unusual metal dumpster. With a tap of her foot Toph could tell it was out of place. It smelled brand new, and it was turned on its side.

She barely had time to decide it was suspicious before she was shoved inside, the metal lid slammed behind her.

"What's the big idea?" she roared, but a moment later the men turned the dumpster right side up and she was tossed off her feet. "Who sent you?"

"Your parents," she heard one of the men grunt from outside. "They don't take kindly to you wandering the streets like some common thug, apparently."

"I could care less about that," the other man added. "But they're paying us a lot."

"Why I oughta-" Toph began viciously, but both men laughed.

"You oughta nothing," one said. "That dumpster's made of metal, you ain't goin' anywhere fast, girly."

But that didn't stop Toph from trying. The sounds of her fists and heels railing against the thick metal completely drowned out one of the men telling the other to go get her parents on the phone.

Not that it mattered. The Blind Bandit would not be contained.

0000000

Sokka was feeling rather down in the dumps. So far, his and Katara's week was not nearly as much fun as it had been every year prior. He couldn't help but start pondering on how much his life had changed since his truck ran out of gas a few blocks from the Ace of Spades.

All this stuff about wars and spirits… it wasn't his area of expertise. He was a rumrunner. Hell, he was the best rumrunner in the world for all anyone knew. This was a life he fit into like a hand in a glove. And if this Prohibition baloney ever ended, his dad would start the brewery back up and Sokka would still have a job.

Of course… this was all provided he survived until then.

Sokka sighed heavily, kicking a loose stone on the pavement in front of him. He couldn't walk three feet with Aang the Magic Spirit Boy without being attacked or apprehended. But he would still admit, albeit grudgingly, that the airhead had grown on him. Not to mention how happy the kid made his little sister. She'd never know it, but she meant the world to him. He would go to the ends of the earth to keep her safe, whether his dad told him to or not.

Then there was Toph. Sokka frowned. He still didn't know what to make of her. She certainly wasn't like any girl he had ever met. She confused him and irritated him, but somehow they had still become best friends. Sokka shrugged. There was just no accounting for some things.

"Well look what the cat dragged in."

Sokka stopped and turned, confused. A truck had stopped by the curb beside him. Sitting in the passenger seat was a familiar face.

"Bato?" Sokka blinked in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Good to see you too," the man in the driver's seat snorted. Sokka leaned forward and smirked.

"Hey Dad."

0000000

Aang walked very slowly down the street with his hands deep in his pockets, Appa literally running circles around him.

"I just don't understand her," he sighed. Appa let out a sympathetic woof. Aang glanced at him. "How can she hate me and still care about me? I mean… just look what happened under the Laogai. She came after me, she's always looking out for me. But she won't look me in the eye anymore, she won't stay in a room alone with me for more than five minutes, and she certainly won't have a normal conversation with me."

Aang sighed again and started scratching Appa's head while he walked. "Is it just completely screwy to miss her this much when I still see her all the time?"

Appa barked.

"Yeah. I thought so."

Suddenly, Appa froze in his tracks and started sniffing the air. Aang stopped and looked at him. His fur was standing on end.

"What's wrong, buddy?"

Appa let out a bark. Aang waited patiently. After another few parks, he took off running down the sidewalk. Aang, who was somewhat used to Appa running off when he smelled something familiar, just followed him. The dog's impressive sense of smell had taken Aang on more than one adventure, but it had been a while since he had spent enough time alone with his dog to follow him anywhere.

"Hey, wait up!" Aang laughed. He finally caught up to the sheepdog a few blocks away on a quiet side street. There were a few odd shops here and there, but it was mostly apartments. Appa plopped down in front of one of the shops. It was a small, sort of shabby-looking place crammed between two apartment buildings. The windows were covered by dark red curtains decorated with fine gold stitching and glass beads that looked very old. The worn sign above the door read "The Traveler."

"That doesn't explain a lot," Aang said quietly, frowning. Appa wagged his tail and looked up at him. "You really want me to go in here?" Appa barked. Aang sighed. "Okay, but you better come with me."

A bell tinkled somewhere deep inside the shop when Aang walked in. It was a rather odd place, crammed full of dusty bookshelves and lit only by the red light coming in through the curtains. The shop was very narrow, but from what Aang could see it looked like it went quite far back. He couldn't actually see the back wall, it was lost in the gloom.

"Hello?" Aang called. His voice didn't echo at all, as though absorbed by the air around him. He glanced around at the bookshelves. Most of the books were very old and had faded or cracked covers. The titles were all unreadable. What caught his attention, however, were the piles of scrolls heaped between the books. It reminded him of Wan Shi Tong's library. There were a few spaces where the walls were visible, covered in embroidered wall treatments that were faded and depicted odd bison-like creatures.

"Ah, there you are!"

Aang jumped in surprise, whipping around. A thin old man was standing right behind him, his skin dark and wrinkled, his head bald, and a bushy white beard on his chin. He was smiling widely at Aang, his eyes crinkling in amusement.

"I have been waiting for you to arrive, Aang," he said. Aang stared. The man had a kindly voice with a hint of an accent Aang didn't recognize. He was barefoot, wearing a wrinkled pair of faded orange pants and a white undershirt, and he smelled like bananas.

"Um… who are you and how do you know who I am?" Aang asked suspiciously, taking a step back.

"Ah, my apologies," the man said, bowing. "My name is Pathik. I am a guru, and you are the Avatar."

"How did you-"

The guru held up his hand, chuckling amiably. "I forgot to mention, I was a close friend of your father's."

"My father?" Aang repeated, eyes wide.

"But of course. Gyatso," Pathik replied, grinning.

Comprehension finally began to dawn on Aang. "Oh… oh, you know Gyatso," he sighed, relieved. "How did you know I would come here?"

Gyatso spread his arms wide. "The spirits know a lot more than most people give them credit for," he chuckled again. "Now come, come with me," he continued, beckoning Aang toward the dusky depths of the shop. "You have much to learn."

0000000

Katara was lonely. It was really quite annoying. Before she met Aang, she was fine being by herself for extended periods of time. But now she was so used to his presence, it just seemed odd when he wasn't there.

She didn't want to have time alone to think right now. Too many bad things to think about. Her fight with Aang. Her inability to save Jet. Her mother. Katara sighed. Her mind always went back to her mother.

The young waterbender stopped where she was on the sidewalk and looked around. She hadn't been paying attention to where she was walking, and she found herself standing before a little old building built from stone with wide open wooden doors. She recognized it by the calligraphy over the doorway. It was Ba Sing Se's Spirit Temple.

Every city and town had a Spirit Temple. They were usually just small places, like the one here. Wood floors, long benches, and an altar at the front. There was nothing spectacular about it, just some incense on the altar and some offerings people had left. The temples were communal gathering places, open to everyone, where one could pray to the spirits in peace. But a lot of people, like Sokka for example, didn't believe in spirits anymore, so they were generally very quiet these days. A sage probably lived upstairs, a sort of spiritual guide who tended the temple and prayed for people when asked. But he wasn't in at the moment, as Katara could tell when she walked in and found herself alone.

Katara hadn't been to a temple in a long time. Gangsters weren't exactly high on the guest list. But for some reason she felt compelled to sit down on the bench in the front row, right before the altar, and think.

"Mom?" she whispered, glancing up toward the ceiling. "I know I haven't talked to you in a while…" She paused, swallowing hard. "I promise I'll visit you when I get back home. I'll bring flowers and everything." She stopped again to take a shallow breath. "I just… I could use some of your advice right about now. I really miss you and… things are tough right now. I mean… it's been rough growing up without you, and now this guy has stumbled into my life and completely changed everything and… and…" She sighed, looking at her feet. "I just wish you were here."

Katara fell silent. She sat there, staring at the altar, for a very long time.

0000000

"I want you to know," Toph shouted, punching the interior of the dumpster for what felt like the millionth time. "When I get out of here, you'll both be sorry."

"Oh really," one of the men sighed. He was sitting on the ground near the dumpster, idly bending pebbles on the ground.

"We won't be," the other man said, leaning against the wall opposite the dumpster. "Because you won't get out."

Toph paused, bending over double to take a few deep breaths. "You wish, pal," she spat. "What are your names?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I want to be able to mention your names when I tell people how badly I beat you."

"Oh you're funny. Well tough luck."

"What's the matter, you ladies scared?"

The man on the ground grimaced. "I'm Fu, he's Lang."

"Why did you go and tell her that?" Lang snarled.

"Sounds to me like Miss Lang is scared of a little girl," Toph sang out, pressing her palms to the metal and closing her eyes tightly. She tuned the two of them out when they started arguing with each other, listening to the reverberations within the metal.

The Blind Bandit grinned.

0000000

Hakoda shook his head and sighed. "My own children," he said, ashamed. "Working for the government. Never thought I'd see the day."

"Very funny," Sokka rolled his eyes. "I don't think sitting in a room with the mayor and his strung-up stenographer for a few hours counts as working for the government."

"Are you getting paid?" Hakoda asked.

"No," Sokka shrugged. "They pretty much kicked us out when we'd told the mayor everything."

Hakoda grinned and Bato rolled his eyes. "That's my boy."

"Glad to make you proud, Dad," he sighed.

Hakoda had purchased sandwiches for the three of them and now they were enjoying their lunch on the riverfront, watching the tugboats and paddlewheels plodding by. Sokka was tossing bits of bread to the turtle ducks below, frowning.

"Son, I don't think I've ever seen you waste food," Hakoda said after several silent minutes. "What seems to be the problem?"

Sokka shrugged. "I think I've got myself into something I wasn't ready for," he muttered.

"What do you mean?" Bato asked.

Another shrug. "This whole thing with Aang and the Dragons… it's turning into an all out war," he sighed. "I didn't sign up for a war. I'm just a rumrunner."

The three men were silent for a short while. Hakoda sighed at length.

"Well, boy, think of it this way," he said thoughtfully. "We all knew this conflict with the Dragons was going to come to a head at some point. We just didn't know you and your sister would end up right in the center of it."

"That's true," Sokka obliged, tossing another piece of sandwich into the river.

"But I think you're the best ones for the job," Hakoda said, leaning back on his hands. "You've got the talent, you've got the skill. You've got the lineage." Sokka rolled his eyes, smiling in spite of himself. "And Aang really needs you two. He couldn't do it without you."

"I guess."

Another silence followed.

"Okay but seriously," Sokka blurted suddenly. "What are you guys doing here?"

0000000

The back of Pathik's shop was not at all what Aang expected. The crowded bookcases and gloomy rafters gave way to a glass ceilinged greenhouse of sorts full of all manner of plants. The very back of the shop was a brick wall slick with moisture, vines creeping up toward the ceiling, and a small stone fountain up against it. Water lilies floated in the clear water.

"What is this place?" Aang asked as Appa rollicked around in excitement.

"This is my sanctuary," Pathik smiled fondly at the room around him. "The ideal space for meditation, which you sorely need, young man."

"Meditation?" Aang repeated vaguely, still looking around.

"You have learned to meditate, haven't you?"

"Yeah… Gyatso taught me when I was little. I haven't done it a lot since then," Aang admitted.

Pathik shrugged. "Like I said. You need to meditate."

0000000

It was the smell that first got Katara's attention. The incense on the altar was strong, but she could still smell the tea next door. It had been ages since she'd been to a tea house, as they were becoming less and less common these days, so naturally she was inclined to go take a look.

The young waterbender finally got up from her seat in the temple and walked outside, glancing at the building next door. It was a small place with a wooden sign hanging over the door, bearing the name 'The Jasmine Dragon.' She peered inside, surprised to find it rather busy. But her attention immediately went elsewhere.

"We need another pot of plum, Uncle," the shop's single waiter called cheerfully into the kitchen.

"Alright, I'm brewing as fast as I can," an old man laughed from the back.

Katara stood frozen in the doorway. The waiter and the man in the kitchen. Either they looked exactly like a couple unfortunate acquaintances of hers, or…

The waiter turned, revealing a disfiguring scar over one side of his face. He glanced at the doorway, having felt someone was there, then shrugged and returned to work.

Katara was already halfway down the street, running as fast as she could.


	33. Chapter 33

_...I know, right?_

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CHAPTER 33

"Mister Mayor!" Katara shouted as she tore into City Hall. "Mister Mayor, where…"

She slowed to a stop in the middle of the main hall. The place was completely empty.

"Oh I have a bad feeling about this…" she whispered.

0000000

"Aang, you hold within you a great power," Pathik said solemnly. The two of them sat cross-legged on the floor in front of the fountain, and Aang was slowly becoming aware of the amount of life in this room. There were butterflies flitting near the glass ceiling, dormice eating berries from the nearby shrubs, hummingbirds buzzing about every flower, flying squirrels and small lizards jumping from branch to branch. "Aang? Are you listening?"

Aang blinked and looked back at Pathik. "Uh, sorry," he laughed sheepishly. "I'm paying attention. Go on."

Pathik grinned at him. "Alright. I don't suppose you've heard of chakras?"

Aang stared. "What's a chalk raw?"

"Hm. Perhaps we should try a different approach," Pathik muttered. "Remind me. What year is this?"

"Uh… 1927," Aang replied slowly, growing rather confused.

"Right, yes, of course," he chuckled. "You are fifteen, correct?"

"Sixteen in a few months…"

"I suppose fifteen-year-old boys do the same things they've always done," Pathik murmured thoughtfully, scratching his bearded chin.

"What do you mean?" Aang asked, a little defensive.

Pathik chuckled again. "You get into trouble, you drink, you fall in love," he said, shrugging.

Aang frowned, but he found no reasonable response. After all, he was right. "So?"

"So, tell me about that," Pathik said, shrugging again. "Tell me about yourself, your life. Tell me anything you want." Aang kept frowning, but Pathik just smiled. "I am a very good listener."

0000000

"Last time I saw Billie, she was at the boarding house," Sokka said loudly, sitting in the back of his father's truck as they rolled down the street. "Why are you looking for her?"

"Just checking in on the family," Bato replied with a smile. "We got word there was some trouble up here."

"Oh there's trouble," Sokka sighed, glancing down the alley beside the Chatter House as they pulled up to the curb. He frowned. "What the…"

"Hey, Sokka, where are you going?" Hakoda shouted as his son jumped out of the back of the truck and took off running down the alley.

"I think Toph's in trouble," he called over his shoulder, rounding the corner at top speed. "Toph? Toph, where are you?"

Sokka's eyes fell upon what he had seen from the street. Someone was lying sprawled on the ground in a pile of gravel. Only Toph could have inflicted this upon someone without the police hearing about it. He glanced around the alley, spotting another man slammed up against the wall, encased in rock. He let out a loud groan. Sokka strode up and grabbed him by the throat.

"Where is she?" he growled. The man just groaned again and pointed. Sokka looked over. There was a metal dumpster up against one wall, a huge hole punched out from the inside. Sokka blinked in surprise. "What could have-"

"Sokka?"

Sokka whipped around. "Toph!" he shouted excitedly, running forward and scooping the younger girl up in a monstrous hug. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

He placed her back on her feet, only to find her staring at him like he was crazy. "Um…" she began, raising one eyebrow. Sokka blushed and tugged his hat down over his eyes.

"I mean uh," he muttered, clearing his throat. "I'm just glad you're not in trouble. You know, don't feel up to killing anyone right now."

Toph rolled her eyes. "Gee, thanks."

"And here I thought chivalry was dead," Hakoda laughed as he and Bato joined them in the alley. Sokka blushed miserably and Toph let out a snort of laughter. Then Hakoda caught sight of the two men in their current states of unconsciousness and the shredded dumpster. "Now what in the world went on here?"

"I'll explain later," Toph said in a rush, running back toward the street. "We've got to find Aang and Katara."

"What? Why?" Sokka asked, racing after her.

"If these guys found me, someone worse could find them."

"You kids go ahead," Hakoda called after them. "Bato and I will go check on Billie."

"Thanks Dad," Sokka shouted as they rounded the corner and ran for Sokka's truck.

0000000

Katara looked up in surprise when she heard the cellar doors above her slam open. She didn't know how long she'd been down here, nor was she sure exactly where she was. All she was sure of was that Azula and her cronies had been waiting for her at City Hall, and she was woefully outnumbered.

"What now?" she called disinterestedly, not moving from the lounge chair she had fashioned from dusty crates in the corner of the dimly lit cellar. "Come to hurl more insults, Azula? Or maybe you just need a bucket."

"Wrong," she heard the girl's venomous voice from the top of the stairs. "You just have a cellmate."

Moments later, none other than Zuko landed roughly on his knees at the foot of the stairs. The doors slammed shut behind him.

"Oh great," Katara sighed, frustrated. "If this isn't just ducky."

"What are you doing here?" Zuko asked darkly, getting to his feet and casting a pointed glance at her makeshift chair.

"Oh, you know," Katara began with an exaggerated shrug. "Just thought I'd lock myself in a cellar for a while." She scowled. "What do you think I'm doing here?"

"So she got you too, huh?" he muttered, looking around their low-ceilinged enclosure. The floor was dirt, the walls brick, and it was full of nothing but crates, jars, and rocks. An old-fashioned lantern hung by the door, providing them very little light.

"Gee, what makes you say that?" she rolled her eyes.

"Are you always this difficult, or is it just when I'm around?" Zuko spat, sitting heavily on the floor against the wall facing her and scowling.

"Sorry, I can't answer that," she replied lightly. "I have this policy where I don't answer stupid questions asked by complete assholes."

"Oh, so trying to kidnap your boyfriend makes me an asshole?" he ground out sarcastically.

"Shut up," Katara shouted, suddenly sitting up in her chair and glaring at him. He was surprised, even feeling a flicker of fear upon feeling the hatred in her eyes. "I don't have to explain myself to you. I don't even have to talk to you. You may be her prisoner, but you're all the same."

"Who? My family?" he asked, genuinely confused.

"Dragons," she hissed. "You don't care about anything but yourselves. I, on the other hand, care about people. I care about him. And you think you can just waltz right in and take him from me to fix your wounded _pride?" _She clenched her fists and closed her eyes, visibly restraining herself. Zuko was silent. "You have no idea how you and your _people_ have affected me. Me, personally." She gritted her teeth and turned away from him. "The Dragons took my mother from me."

A ringing silence fell between them. Neither said a word or moved a muscle.

"That's…" he began very quietly. "We have that in common."

Katara stiffened, but she didn't respond. She just turned and glanced at him. He turned his gaze to his feet.

0000000

Aang felt like he had been talking for hours. He'd never talked this much about himself in his life. But once he started, he just couldn't stop. Pathik seemed pleased by this outcome, which didn't help him stop talking. Before he knew it, he was telling this stranger everything, his fears, his regrets, his desires. And every other sentence, it seemed, he came back to one subject.

"She's perfect," he burst out in frustration, halfway through his sixth or seventh tirade about his fight with Katara. "She's everything, absolutely everything to me. There isn't one thing about her I would change. And now she hates me! I don't understand what I did wrong, and if I don't know that, how am I supposed to fix it?" He let out an explosive sigh before continuing. "It's ridiculous. I'm in love with her. Isn't that the most ridiculous thing you've ever heard?"

For the first time, Pathik interrupted. "The fact that you are in love with her?" he asked, sounding amused. "Is that what's so ridiculous?"

"No," Aang waved it off. "Of course not. It would be ridiculous if I wasn't in love with her. Did I mention she was perfect? No, it's ridiculous _how_ in love with her I am. I mean, I'm fifteen for crying out loud. I'm supposed to be worrying about stupid things like cars and guns and alcohol, like Sokka does. But no, I have to go and fall ass over for this crazy bearcat, I mean she's like a thunderstorm! She just hits you, all of a sudden, and you're just stuck in this deluge and I'm soaked and I'm drowning but I don't ever want to not be, you know?"

He finally stopped talking, letting out a long sigh. "Wow," he said, a little breathless. "I'm tired. That was tiring."

"Did you think opening up your spirit wouldn't be tiring?" Pathik chuckled.

"My spirit?" Aang repeated vaguely, stifling a yawn.

"Your spirit is what sets you apart, Aang," Pathik said sagely. "It is what makes you the Avatar. Every spirit is eternal, but yours remains here, on Earth, rather than passing to the Spirit World. Even so, it is still attached to you in this life, so it can be weighed down by worldly problems and attachments. To control the Avatar State, your spirit must be free."

"Free of attachments?" Aang said slowly, yawning again. "What uh… what does that mean exactly?"

"That is something that you and your Katara must learn together," Pathik replied, grinning.

Aang stared at him, frowning. "My Katara?" he repeated, then stopped, a smile tugging at his lips. "My Katara. I like the sound of that. My Katara."

"You must beware of those possessive inclinations, Aang," Pathik warned quietly. "Love her, but do not aim to own her."

Aang let out a snort of laughter. "Own Katara? Please," he laughed to himself. "That's like saying I'm going to go own the ocean or something."

Pathik smiled, appearing pleased. "I'm impressed, your spirit is in better condition than I thought," he said. But then he frowned. "So what is it that prevents you from controlling it?"

"I thought you were supposed to tell me that," Aang said through a third yawn.

Pathik shook his head, amused. "I can see I am losing your attention, so let's try something more relaxing now that you're settled. I want you to meditate, Aang. Meditate on the Avatar State. Find the source of your difficulty with it."

"Meditating sounds nice."

0000000

The silence was starting to get to Katara. She liked quiet as much as the next person, but Zuko glowering at her from the corner wasn't helping anyone.

"Look, don't take this as an olive branch or anything," she began abruptly. "But barring sudden onset schizophrenia, I don't have anyone to talk to but you." She glanced over at him and he offered a grudging nod. She sighed earnestly. "Zuko, what are you doing here?"

He frowned. "You mean the cellar? I thought we'd been over this."

"I mean Ba Sing Se," she replied, ignoring the jab. "You didn't follow us here, did you?"

"No," he sighed. "Uncle decided we should get out of Omashu for a while, try to stay under Azula's radar. But apparently she was already here, following your boyfriend."

Katara's chest tightened uncomfortably when he referred to Aang as her boyfriend. He had no idea what poor shape their relationship was in right now, nor did he know they had never been together to begin with. But it still managed to hurt. Oddly, she didn't blame Zuko, no matter how easy it would have been.

"Where is he? Your uncle, I mean."

Zuko shrugged. "Looking for me, if I had to guess. I wanted to face Azula alone, so I told him to go. But she, as usual, wasn't interested. Those Prohibition Officers are a real pain." Katara gave a grudging nod of her own. He glanced up at her. "So is the Avatar going to come bust you out? Because it's getting kind of cramped in here."

Katara thought about it. She wished the answer could have been an instant 'yes,' but it wasn't. Would Aang come for her, after all that had happened between them?

"Yes, he'll come," she said quietly, smiling rather miserably. "He'll find me. I know he will."

0000000

"Katara!"

Pathik jumped, startled, when Aang jumped to his feet. "Aang, what is it?"

"Katara, I think she's in trouble," he blurted, running a hand nervously through his hair. "I… I saw her, in my head. I heard her."

"You had a vision?"

"Yeah, exactly! She's locked up somewhere with Zuko, she could be in danger," he called over his shoulder as he ran for the exit. Appa emerged from the maze of plants and ran alongside him, barking. Pathik raced after him.

"Aang, no! If you leave now, it will be even harder to control the Avatar State."

Aang stopped in the doorway and looked back. "I have to save her," he said quietly, slamming the door behind him.

0000000

Sokka's truck roared through town, Sokka craning his neck out the window.

"Do you see them?" Sokka called.

Toph rolled her eyes. "Yeah, Sokka, I see them," she snapped.

"Oh right, sorry."

"Sokka! Toph!"

The truck screeched to a halt. Aang and Appa were tearing down the street toward them. Toph and Sokka jumped down to the curb.

"Are you okay?" Toph asked firmly.

"I'm fine, but Katara's in trouble," Aang panted, hands on his knees while he tried to catch his breath. "I met this guru guy and he was helping me meditate and I had a vision."

Sokka and Toph stared at him. He looked up and scowled.

"I'm serious here," he burst out, frustrated. "Katara is locked up somewhere with Zuko."

"Did you see where?"

The three of them turned in surprise. Aang and Sokka both fell into defensive stances upon seeing who was walking toward them, but Toph just grinned.

"I remember you," she said pleasantly, stepping forward and shaking his hand. "What are you doing in Ba Sing Se?"

"Toph, you know this guy?" Sokka hissed.

Toph frowned. "Uh, kind of. We met on the street once…"

"Toph, this is Uncle Iroh," Aang said, a warning tone in his voice. "Zuko's uncle."

Toph paused, eyebrows disappearing beneath her bangs. "Oh. Well. I can honestly say I wasn't excepting that."

Iroh held up his hands in a placating gesture. "Please, I'm not here to start trouble," he said earnestly. "I just think we can help each other." Aang and Sokka both relaxed a little, albeit warily. "You said you had a vision of Zuko. Did you see where he is?"

"They were in a cellar or something, I'm not sure," Aang replied.

Iroh frowned. "So that's where she has them…"

"Where who has them?" Sokka snapped.

"Azula," Iroh sighed. "Zuko and I have been here for a short while to avoid her, just running a tea shop downtown. But she found out we were here somehow, and we were both arrested and taken to City Hall. I managed to uh… create an opportunity for us to escape, but Zuko stayed to face her."

"So they're at City Hall," Aang said quickly. "Let's go then."

"Wait wait wait," Sokka cut in loudly. "Just like that? You're letting him come with us?" He gestured wildly toward Iroh. Aang just gave Sokka a surprisingly stern look.

"I have to save her," he said, his tone level and low, before he climbed into the back of the truck with his dog. Toph shrugged and walked around to the passenger seat. Iroh followed Aang into the back and Sokka, grumbling to himself all the while, climbed into the driver's seat and took the wheel.

"That kid's got a lot of nerve," he muttered. Toph rolled her eyes.

"He just wants Katara to be safe, you know," she pointed out. "And considering the rough shape the two of them have been, I'd give the guy a break."

Sokka spluttered for a moment. Clearly, he hadn't been expecting an actual answer from Toph. "Yeah well…" he made an attempt at a comeback, but they both knew he had none. So he just scowled. "Nuts to this."

0000000

Katara frowned, watching Zuko draw patterns in the dirt with his finger.

"You know… I could probably heal that for you," she said quietly. He glanced up at her. "Your scar, I mean." His eyes widened in surprise. She shrugged. "I mean… I know it's like a big deal to you, and you haven't tried to injure me once the whole time we've been here…"

"Uncle has taken me to healers before," he interrupted quietly. "This is no ordinary scar."

Katara regarded him shrewdly for several long moments. She sighed and shook her head, reaching down the front of her shirt and pulling out a small crystal vial on a silver chain around her neck. She held it up to him.

"I've never told anyone about this," she said lowly. "When I mastered waterbending, my teacher gave this to me. It's from the spring at the Northern Distillery. You remember?" He nodded. "It isn't ordinary water. It's supposed to have healing properties unlike anything in the world. In the hands of a waterbender, it might be enough."

"You would do that for me?" he asked doubtfully.

Katara's frown hardened. "You could start fresh without that scar," she said firmly. "You could stop worrying about your pride, and you could stop chasing Aang." Comprehension seemed to dawn over Zuko's face, though she wasn't sure why. "I don't want you to hurt him anymore. So if I do this for you, you have to do that for me."

Zuko nodded. "I understand. You're not doing it for me, you're doing it for him," he said quietly. She shrugged. To her great surprise, he actually smiled a little. "In that case, sure."

Katara tilted her head to the side, confused. "Wait, you'll let me do it because I'm not doing it for you?"

"Well yeah," Zuko replied as though it was obvious. "It'd be weird if you did it for me."

Katara shrugged. "Got me there."


	34. Chapter 34

_Happy summer everyone! Here, have some depressing Parlor Tricks!_

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CHAPTER 34

"Something on your mind, Aang?"

Aang jumped in surprise. Iroh was smiling at him from the other side of the truck bed, petting Appa.

"Oh, uh…" Aang stammered before letting out a nervous laugh. "It's just… the last time we were in the back of a truck together, your nephew had kidnapped me."

Iroh chuckled. "You are right, I had nearly forgotten."

The two of them fell silent, Aang frowning at his knees as Sokka's truck blew through the city. Iroh glanced down at Appa, who let out a low woof.

"But something else troubles you," Iroh said quietly. Aang looked up at him. "I have been told I am easy to talk to."

Aang sighed. "Do you uh… know much about the Spirit World?" he asked hesitantly.

"You are asking the right person," Iroh smiled. "There are legends among the Dragon Gang that I have been to the Spirit World."

Aang blinked in surprise. "Is it true?"

Iroh shrugged. "I don't know. Do you think it is?"

Aang stared. "I can see I'm not going to get a straight answer."

"You are wise for one so young. Now what is bothering you?"

"Well… suppose I, you know, being the Avatar, wanted to uh… free up my spirit," he said slowly, spinning his hat between his hands. "Get rid of um… worldly attachments, and stuff." He paused and glanced up. Iroh's face was impassive, so he continued. "How would I go about that?"

Iroh frowned. "Can I ask why you wish to free up your spirit?" he asked seriously.

"Oh, you know…" Aang sighed, attempting to sound casual. "To gain the unlimited power of the universe."

"Ah," was Iroh's only reply. Aang waited silently as Iroh thought, slowly scratching Appa's ears. "What do you mean by worldly attachments?"

"See… that's just it," Aang muttered. "I'm not sure."

"So this was instruction you received from someone else?"

Aang shrugged. "I don't know. Do you think it is?"

Iroh grinned. "You're a sharp one," he chuckled. "Well, in this context, I suppose worldly attachment would be someone you love."

Aang froze. "Someone… I love…" he repeated slowly.

Iroh nodded. "You as the Avatar have a spirit that can conduct the power of the universe, but is also attached to your earthly body," he continued. "It would seem that in order to allow the power in, you must give up what attaches you to this world."

"No way," Aang said instantly. "Why would I do that? I…" He looked down, sighing heavily. "I don't know what I should do."

"If you ask me," Iroh said quietly after a lengthy silence. "It is a wise man who would choose love over power."

Aang looked up at him, a miserable frown on his face. Appa whined sympathetically.

At that moment, the truck screeched to a halt.

"Okay, everybody out," Sokka called back. Aang and Iroh glanced around in surprise. They were at the curb in front of City Hall. The four of them jumped down to the sidewalk.

"Iroh and I are going for Katara and Zuko," Aang said firmly. "Sokka and Toph, go find the mayor."

"Roger that, Twinkle Toes," Toph said quickly, grabbing Sokka by the elbow and running up the stairs to City Hall. Iroh glanced at Aang.

"Do you have a plan?"

Aang nodded and crouched down, flattening both palms on the pavement and closing his eyes. He still had trouble with what Toph called "earth sight," using his earthbending to see where everything was, but he was getting better. Slowly.

"Come on…" he muttered to himself. "Come on Katara, tell me where you are…"

0000000

"Mister Mayor?" Sokka called as he and Toph ran into the building. The place was dark and deserted. "This is probably bad."

"Shut it, Snoozles, I'm trying to listen," Toph snapped. Sokka turned to find her crouched on the floor, both palms flat against the smooth stone. She frowned. "Nobody's around, everyone is way in the last few rooms. Wait… two people are coming this way."

She stood up quickly and pointed at one of the doors leading off the main hall. It creaked open moments later and two girls walked in. One was tall and thin, wearing a black suit. The other was shorter and dressed in shocking pink flapper attire. Sokka and Toph recognized them instantly, but something else was disturbing Sokka.

The flapper was wearing a green suit jacket open over her dress. There was a gold pin on the lapel in the shape of a sea serpent. He recognized that jacket.

"Hey," he shouted. "Where-"

But before he could say another word, the darker girl had leveled a pair of handguns at him and Toph had to grab him by his suspenders to get him out of the line of fire.

"Next time I'm not helping," she growled, turning and punching a fist to the ground that shot twin pillars of earth up through the floor, launching both girls. Sokka finally drew his gun and was more than ready to take out the flapper when the door at the back of the room slammed open. Everyone turned.

There stood Azula, two Prohibition Officers beside her towing a bound and struggling mayor. She pointed a finger at his temple and smirked, daring them to move.

"This fight is over," she said.

0000000

Katara frowned slightly as she pulled the stopper from the tiny glass vial. She glanced up at Zuko, who was watching curiously.

"You ready?" she asked, sounding rather grim.

Zuko shrugged. "Yeah I guess…"

"No," Katara said firmly. "You have to be ready. Completely. You have to be ready to change and follow through on your end of the deal."

"Right right, sorry," he replied hurriedly.

Katara cocked her head to the side a bit. "Wow. You're actually legitimately trying to change, aren't you?" she said quietly.

Zuko sighed. "Never thought I'd say this, but yeah. My uncle thinks there's a better life for me than what I have."

Katara smiled. "Well, your uncle is a wise man," she said quietly. "Come on then, let's-"

She was interrupted by the cellar doors banging open. Both she and Zuko whipped around in surprise.

"Katara?"

Katara nearly dropped the vial of water in relief when she recognized that voice. "Oh, Aang," she sighed, grinning as he leapt down into the cellar. "You found me. You came for me, I knew you would."

Aang didn't seem to hear her, as he was too busy placing himself firmly between Katara and Zuko. "Did he hurt you?" he asked her darkly, eyes never leaving Zuko.

"What?" Zuko asked, defensive. But then Iroh had him wrapped in a bone-crushing hug.

"Aang, no," Katara said firmly. Aang finally glanced back at her. "It's fine, we were both prisoners. We've just been talking."

Aang snorted angrily, shooting another glare back at Zuko. "Really. Locked up here together and you've just been talking," he said under his breath.

"Excuse me?" Katara hissed. "What exactly are you saying?"

Aang scowled. "Nothing, forget about it."

"No really, Avatar," Zuko shouted, disentangling himself from his uncle's embrace. "What were you going to say? You think your girlfriend isn't trustworthy?"

Aang snarled at him and the two of them looked about ready to tackle each other when Katara stepped between them, a firm hand on Aang's chest.

"You know what Zuko? I'm not his girlfriend," she said coolly. "I've never been his girlfriend. I'm not even sure we're friends anymore, the way he's been acting."

"Give me a break," Aang shouted, stepping away from her. "You know, next time, I think I'll just let you bust yourself out of the cellar." He then turned and, rather than going back up the stairs to the street, earthbended a tunnel into the nearest wall and stalked into the darkness. Katara rolled her eyes.

"Hold it, where the hell do you think you're going?" she snapped, stomping after him.

Iroh and Zuko stood quite still, blinking in the aftermath. Iroh cleared his throat.

"Well, I can't say I was expecting that," he admitted with a frown. "Ah, young love. They seem to have lost their way."

Zuko shrugged. "That's none of my concern," he muttered. Then he paused and glanced at his uncle. "Thanks for coming after me."

Iroh patted him on the shoulder. "That's what family does."

"Well, isn't that sweet."

Four pillars of earth suddenly jutted out of the ground, imprisoning Iroh where he stood. Walking slowly down the stairs was none other than Zuko's little sister, flanked by two silent Prohibition Officers.

"Why hello there Uncle," she said in a falsely sweet voice, smirking as she approached him. I was wondering when you'd show up." She glanced to her side, taking in the giant hole in the wall. "And you've even brought the Avatar. How charitable."

"Whatever you think you're doing, Azula, you might as well give up," Zuko snarled, stepping between her and their uncle.

Azula just rolled her eyes. "Zuko, please, do you ever just take a moment to listen to yourself?" she sighed. She gave him an earnest look. "Why do you think I bound him up and not you? I didn't throw you down here to keep you out of the way, I threw you down here because I need your help."

Zuko crossed his arms over his chest, frowning. "Interesting way to do it."

Azula sighed again. "Would you really have listened if I asked politely?" Zuko was silent. Azula smiled a bit. "I thought so. I understand why you don't trust me, big brother. Hell, I wouldn't either at this point. But that's really not up to me." She finally looked at him dead on, offering him a smile. "This is your chance, Zuko. This is your chance to redeem yourself."

"The kind of redemption she offers is not for you," Iroh shouted. Zuko jumped, startled. He'd nearly forgotten his uncle was there. Azula glared at him.

"Why don't you let him decide for himself, Uncle?" she drawled before looking back at Zuko. "I've planned this to a T, Zuko, all of it. Today, the Dragon Gang expands, reaches up to Ba Sing Se and takes it by surprise. All in the name of our father." Zuko swallowed hard. "But I can't do this last part alone. Every moment the Avatar gets further away, and I need you to help me stop him. You do this, and you'll have it all back. Your place in the gang, Dad's respect and love, all of it."

"Zuko," Iroh said urgently. "You've changed. You're a better man now. Look inside yourself and see if this is what you truly want!"

Zuko stood frozen in place between his uncle and his sister. He glanced between the two of them. Azula shrugged.

"You're free to choose."

0000000

"Great, where the hell have you taken us?"

Aang scowled, looking around with his arms crossed over his chest. The tunnel he had rather absent-mindedly made had taken them, apparently, into the city's waterlines. The technical word, he supposed, would be sewers, but the water moving slowly through the deep trench within the wide, arched tunnel they were now in did not look like sewage. At least as far as he could tell in the dim light from the manhole covers above. It looked like cold, dull river water. To that effect, it didn't smell like sewage either. Small favors.

"I have taken us nowhere," Aang replied dully as Katara stood somewhat behind him, looking around. "I have taken myself here. You followed me."

"Fine," Katara burst out. "Well then you can just take yourself right out of my life."

Aang, barely listening though he was, heard that one loud and clear. A look of complete panic crossed his face, but luckily he was facing away from Katara so she didn't see. Out of her life?

Further musing was interrupted, however, by the massive blue fireball that sizzled past him and exploded into the water below. Aang and Katara both whipped around. Azula had caught up to them.

"Oh dear, are we having a spat?" she mocked, eyebrows rising in amusement. "I do hope it's not on my account."

"Don't worry, it isn't," Aang ground out. He and Azula both fell into fighting stances, but the tension was interrupted once again by the appearance of someone else.

Zuko came running into sight, stopping midway between Aang and Azula. All eyes were on him, but the look that caught his attention was Katara's. She was staring straight at him, her eyes boring into his like ice. He could see in that look that they weren't finished. She was still willing to follow through on her end of the deal.

The question now was whether he would follow through on his.

The sewer was still and silent for a few of the longest moments of Zuko's life. Aang was tense, riled, so he was ready to dodge out of the way when Zuko finally moved and shot a tongue of flame straight at him. Zuko didn't know what possessed him to glance back at Katara, but when he did, he saw in the murderous look in her eyes that his fate was sealed.

And he knew, boyfriend or not, that she would stop at nothing to protect Aang from him.

0000000

Sokka sighed heavily, thumping his head against the wall he was sitting against. "Well Mister Mayor, I'd say it's good to see you again, but under the circumstances I'm sure you'll understand that it's really not."

The mayor, sitting next to Sokka on the floor of the records room, just shrugged. "Don't worry about it."

"Toph would you sit down already?" Sokka burst out. Toph just glared at him from the door, which she had both hands flat against. "Everyone else in the building is locked up, we're not getting out of here short of some kind of miracle."

At that moment, Toph delivered a few swift, solid punches to the metal door in front of her and sent it ricocheting down the hall. Toph grinned.

"Sokka, some kinds of miracles happen," she said as she brushed herself off and marched out the open doorway. Sokka and the mayor exchanged a look of disbelief before scrambling to their feet and running after her.

0000000

Aang had never really fought Azula one on one like this before, and it became immediately apparent that she was as strong and fast as she was insane and conniving. It didn't help that half his mind was on Katara, wondering how she was faring against Zuko and hoping desperately that she didn't get hurt.

Katara, on the other hand, was focused. She, as had been proven many times over, was a professional fighter. Her one aim was to make Zuko go down and stay down. Her personal vendetta against him was merely fuel, not sole motivation. At least, it wasn't for the first several minutes.

But, as was the way with Katara's anger, it got the best of her.

"You miserable excuse for a human being," she shouted, lashing out with the dual water whips she had whirling around her. He returned with his own crackling vines of flame. "You said you'd changed!"

"I have changed," he roared back.

"Yeah, you've become even more of a waste of space, you son of a-"

Zuko interrupted her, the flames growing around him. "Don't you dare talk about my mother!" he roared. She countered him effortlessly, a dangerous coldness in her eyes.

"I was talking about your father," she snarled. She struck without mercy, and Zuko was thrown into the water. It would be hard for him to climb out of there, and Azula saw her disadvantage instantly.

Seconds later, Aang and Katara were practically surrounded by Prohibition Officers. Azula smirked at Aang.

"Playtime's over," she said quietly.

Aang looked wildly around, searching for a way out. Katara was in her octopus stance, fending off wave after wave of Prohibition Officers on sheer force of will. He shook his head, dazed.

"There are too many," he muttered to himself. He closed his eyes and exhaled through gritted teeth, dropping to the ground and earthbending a stone pyramid around himself. He settled into a meditative stance and closed his eyes tighter.

"I'm sorry, Katara…"

White light erupted from one side of the sewer. Katara looked over, startled, and had to shield her eyes with a hand. There, slowly rising into the air, was Aang. She was floored. He'd gone into the Avatar State on his own. He was controlling it, not the other way around. She felt a smile on her face, she was so awed and proud-

The sound of the lightning passing through him echoed in the sewer, louder than any sound Katara had ever heard.

No. No. Spirits, please, no.

Katara was aware of nothing else in the world but Aang falling, motionless, toward the ground. She didn't know how she got there, but all of a sudden she was under him, catching him in her arms. She fell to her knees and looked up, eyes wide in horror. The entire sewer was dripping with water, Prohibition Officers were strewn left and right. She must have done that. But it didn't matter now. Azula and Zuko were getting up, and Aang…

No. Can't be dead. Can't be dead. Not him, please…

"You've got to get out of here!"

Katara looked up in surprise. Iroh was standing in front of her. She stared at him, barely registering what he wanted her to do. Then it struck her. He was protecting her. He was standing between her and his own niece and nephew. She nodded and looked up. A manhole cover was directly above. With one hand she blasted it out of the way and rushed herself and the boy in her arms up to the street where they landed, soaking wet. She looked around, disoriented, and saw Sokka's truck at the end of the street.

"Sokka," she cried. His head poked out the window. He and Toph were waiting for them. "Sokka, help…"

He came running, as did Toph. The rest was a blur. She didn't know how she got into the back of the truck with Aang and Toph, but the next thing she knew she was there, Aang's pale figure beside her as she fumbled for the crystal vial around her neck. She lifted his torso with some difficulty, pressing the healing water to the scar in his back. The place where Azula meant to end his life. The water faded. Aang was silent.

Katara, exhausted and in love with a dead man, let out a sob that brought tears to the eyes of Toph, Sokka, even the mayor. She collapsed upon herself, pulling him close and crying into his already damp shoulder.

No. No. No.

At that moment, Katara heard him exhale in her ear.

She froze, hardly daring to believe… but when she pulled back, his eyes were open, just barely. He focused on her for a second, just one moment, and he smiled. Her breath left her. She felt faint. His eyes closed again. He took in a breath. Peaceful sleep. He was alive. Aang was alive.

Katara took him into her arms again and held him all the way back to the boarding house.


	35. Chapter 35

_Check this shit out! Only took me 9 days this time. Woo. And also sad, more sad. Dark. Twisty. You know._

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CHAPTER 35

Katara woke up rather slowly. It had been weeks since Aang had fallen. Weeks. And she spent every spare moment at his bedside. Which would explain why she was waking up in his window seat, sore and hopeless.

"Katara?"

Her head snapped up expectantly, but no… it wasn't Aang. Toph was in the doorway, frowning at her in concern.

"Katara," she repeated quietly. "Come eat something."

Katara just shook her head and pulled her knees up to her chin. "Later…" she said brokenly. She heard Toph sigh and leave. Katara groaned. She needed something to eat, something to drink. She needed to wash her hair, go out and stretch her legs, waterbend. She hadn't left the house since they returned from Ba Sing Sei. Not once. She'd slept some, eaten some, but not as much as she should.

She couldn't bring herself to go through the motions of her everyday life. Not while he was just lying there.

"Uhm…"

Katara glanced up, expectations low. Nobody was at the doorway. But that had to mean…

"Where…" Aang murmured, still unmoving. She gasped and flew from the window seat to his side.

"Aang," she whispered frantically, taking his face in her hands. "Aang, can you hear me?"

"K…tara…" he attempted, voice cracking from lack of use. One of his eyes opened cautiously and she felt tears in her eyes.

"Aang," she breathed. "Oh, Aang, you're awake!" She didn't know what to do with herself.

With a grunt of effort, Aang tried to sit up. Katara reached out instantly to help him, setting him up against the headboard. He sighed heavily and finally opened both eyes. It took him a second to find focus, but when he did it landed on her. He smiled weakly.

"Katara," he whispered.

"Aang," she sighed again, relief washing over her face. "I'm so…" She shifted, clearly wanting to hug him, to hold him, to wrap her arms around him and take a deep breath of him and… but she stopped herself. Even after his near death, even after his weeks of unconsciousness, even after her missing him so much it hurt her physically, she couldn't forget that before all of that, they hadn't spoken a kind word to each other for days. She exhaled slowly and looked down. "I'm glad you're awake."

Aang swallowed hard and looked around. He was in his bed, in his room, alone with Katara. He looked down at himself and found he was stripped down to his pajama pants and covered in bandages. They were all over his torso and shoulder and up from his left foot to his knee. His eyes widened.

"What… what happened?" he asked quietly. Katara bit her lip.

"You… Azula, she…" she stammered.

"I went down," Aang cut in lowly, looking at his hands. "I think… I think she killed me."

Katara glanced up at him. "I um… I brought you back," she whispered. His gaze sharply met hers and she looked down again. "With water from the spring at the Northern Distillery."

"You… you brought me back?" Aang repeated, gazing at her. "Even after…"

He trailed off, leaving a deafening silence between them. Katara twisted her hands in her lap.

"Of course I did," she said, very quietly. "No matter what happens between us, I could never just let you… without even trying to… I couldn't just…" She closed her eyes, and Aang noticed for the first time that she looked very different from the last time he'd seen her. There were bags under her eyes and her hair wasn't in its usual impeccable condition. Her clothes were wrinkled, her lips were dry, her shoulders sagged with exhaustion. He swallowed hard. She was _beautiful_.

"Katara, how long have I been like this?"

She sighed again, not looking at him. "About four weeks."

Aang was floored. Four weeks. "Four weeks?" he repeated incredulously. He ran a hand through his hair in agitation, staring blankly at the wall. She just watched him silently. He sighed heavily. "You've been here for most of that time, haven't you?"

Katara didn't respond. She looked away from him.

"Katara…"

"Don't," Katara said firmly, glancing up at him. "Don't ask me why. Don't tell me I didn't need to, because I did. I needed to be here." She took a shuddering breath and looked down again. "I needed to know you were okay, because if you weren't and the last thing I said to you…" She exhaled heavily and closed her eyes. "I just… needed to be here."

Aang couldn't take his eyes off of her. He felt like something inside him had just snapped in two, and he couldn't tell if it was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Try not to move too much, you might strain your injury," she said flatly. "Is there anything I can bring you?"

"No no, I'm fine," Aang replied, finally finding his voice.

Katara shook her head a little. "No, you're not," she sighed. Aang didn't respond. "Just… call if you need anything." She got to her feet and stretched, joints creaking audibly. Aang watched her silently. She paused a moment and turned to him, hesitating for another second before reaching out and brushing the shaggy hair from his brow. Before he knew it, she had bent down and kissed his forehead, whispered, "I'm so glad you're okay," against his skin, and was out the door.

Aang stared at the doorway she had occupied just moments before. His head was pounding and his throat was dry. With a groan, he buried his face in his hands. Four weeks. Time had never slipped away from him like this before. His thoughts went back over Katara's words, looking for something… something that had bothered him…

"_I needed to know you were okay, because if you weren't and the last thing I said to you…"_

Aang frowned, blinking through the gaps in his fingers. What was the last thing she said to him before he went down? He squeezed his eyes shut. Concentrating right now was like trying to catch smoke in his hands. His mind was full of fog and… sewer water…

He sat bolt upright, ignoring the pain in his muscles. He remembered the panic those last words had instilled in him.

"_Fine. Well then you can just take yourself right out of my life."_

Another long sigh and he fell back against the headboard. How long had they been fighting? It must have been just a few days, but it felt like ages. And now, apparently, things still weren't fixed.

But Katara… she'd spent four weeks at his side. If that wasn't an attempt at reconciliation, he didn't know what was. He sighed. Whatever it was, he knew one thing. He couldn't take this much longer.

0000000

Katara was sitting in the kitchen, elbows on the table, head in her hands. She didn't know where Sokka and Toph were, but they weren't the problem right now. How could she have been so cold to him? Why was she still angry?

He was probably thirsty, sore. Most likely confused. He said he was fine, but she knew better. He could feel the tension between them and he just wanted her out of the room. She shouldn't have…

Katara let out a groan. Things had changed in the past four weeks. A lot. She had to tell him, fill him in on everything. After all, this was his war too. But she just couldn't bring herself to get to her feet. Spirits, she was tired…

"Katara?"

She glanced up to find Sokka and Toph walking into the kitchen together. She frowned.

"Where were you two?"

They both shrugged.

"Outside," Sokka said seriously. "You know, where everyone else is. Come on Katara, you have to get some fresh air."

"Well I probably will be," she sighed. "Aang's awake."

"What? Really?"

Both of them left the kitchen as suddenly as they had come. She could hear them talking excitedly, glad to have Aang back. Katara let her head drop onto the table with another groan.

"When did my life get so complicated?" she sighed.

"I'd say it's when you made it this complicated."

Katara glanced up in surprise. Her father was just sitting down at the table across from her. She frowned at him and dropped her head back onto the table.

"I don't want to talk about it," she grumbled.

"Well too bad," he replied lightly. "I talked to Billie."

Katara glared up at him. "And?"

"She said you're having boy problems."

"…That's all she said? No specifics?"

"Of course not, Billie wouldn't betray your trust like that. But please, a rock could figure out you have Gyatso's boy in your sights."

Katara didn't respond. She just growled at him.

"Look, I know I'm the last person in the world you want to talk about this with…"

"Second last."

"Hm?"

"You're not Sokka, are you?"

Hakoda let out a laugh. Katara just sighed.

"I wish Mom was here," she said quietly. Hakoda leaned forward, brushing some hair behind her ears.

"I know, kid," he said quietly. "We all do. But eventually, we've all got to stand up on our own two feet and face our problems alone."

Katara was once again silent. Her father knew it was because she didn't want him to hear that she was crying.

"You'll be fine, Katara," he murmured. "You always are. You're a fighter."

She heard his chair legs screech as he got to his feet and left the room. Katara sighed again, using her fingertip to bend the three lone tears that had fallen to the table.

"I always am," she whispered.

0000000

"Hey Twinkle Toes! What are you doing up and about?"

Aang looked up in surprise. It couldn't have been much past dawn, but Aang had been unable to sleep and found himself out in the kitchen. It had been a struggle walking in there by himself, but that old airbending staff he'd liberated from the library made a good walking stick. It was now leaning in the corner of the kitchen near the doorway in which Toph and Sokka were standing.

Aang frowned. "Why were you two up so early?" he asked, yawning.

They both shrugged. "There's been a lot going on here in the past four weeks," Sokka said flatly. Aang's frown deepened and Sokka sighed. "I guess Katara hasn't filled you in then."

Aang looked down at the table. "Nah, we haven't really had a chance to talk," he muttered. He hadn't spoken to her once since he'd woken up yesterday. If he didn't know any better, he'd say she was hiding from him. Sokka and Toph sat down at the table with him and Sokka rubbed his tired eyes.

"Look, things have changed," he said, throwing caution to the wind. "Azula controls the Prohibition Officers now, so Ba Sing Se has pretty much fallen."

"Oh," Aang sighed.

"Yeah," Toph consented. She too sounded tired. "The Dragons are getting brazen. I mean, if they weren't to begin with. Most of Omashu is down for the count too. I'm afraid the Riversiders' sphere of influence is shrinking."

"This is all my fault," Aang groaned, burying his face in his hands. "I should have stopped her."

"Aang, she shot you in the back," Sokka pointed out, a note of disgust in his voice. "There's no accounting for people like that."

"I see them out the window, you know," Aang said suddenly, his voice low and a dark crease in his brow. "The Riversiders who have been injured or killed, fighting the Dragons. I see them being carried to the infirmary down the lane." He clenched his fists on the table. "It could be one of you next, or it could be… Katara." He shook his head and got to his feet, firmly planting his staff against the floor for support. "I can't let this happen anymore. It's getting out of hand."

"Aang," Toph began, but he was already limping out of the kitchen. They heard his bedroom door slam. The two of them shared a look and another shrug.

Aang, on the other hand, was surprised to find his room occupied. Katara was sitting in his window seat, one finger tracing spirals on the glass. She glanced over when his door slammed behind him. She briefly met his eyes.

"You really shouldn't be on your feet so soon," she said quietly. Aang slowly sat down on his bed, leaning his staff in the corner. She could feel his eyes on her. She sighed. "I uh… need to check your bandages."

Aang glanced down at himself and was startled to see the bandages on his foot were turning red. He could only assume the same of his back. The next time he looked up, Katara was seated beside him on his bed, and he swallowed hard.

"Just relax," she murmured, not meeting his eyes. He nodded silently as she unwound the red-stained cloth from his back. He could see her biting her lip and he knew immediately that she blamed herself for what had happened to him. He opened his mouth, prepared to tell her that it wasn't her fault and she did more than he deserved by saving his life, but something stopped him. He was trying to figure out what that something was when her hand, enveloped in cool water, came into contact with the sore skin of his back. He screwed his eyes shut against the sudden stinging sensation, and she saw it immediately, steadying her other hand on his chest.

"Relax," she whispered again, focused so intently that she didn't seem to realize that this was the closest they had been in more than a month. He seized the opportunity to take a deep breath, catching the scent of her hair. Spirits, he loved that smell.

"Katara," he blurted, taking hold of her wrist and gently pushing her away from him. She met his eyes, confused. "It's okay… I can finish up myself."

He didn't know what compelled him to say it, but he certainly hadn't anticipated the look of hurt and betrayal that crossed her face. It was brief, but he saw it, and it seemed to squeeze the air from his lungs.

"Oh," she said at length, once again refusing to meet his eyes. "Sure, of course, I'll just…" She got to her feet, fully intending to leave the room as fast as she possibly could, but he didn't let go of her wrist.

"Katara, stop, it's not that I don't want your help," he said hastily, trying to catch her eye. She stared hard at her feet. "It's just… everyone around me is in danger because of me and I just…"

"Stop," she cut him off, her hard gaze now directed at him. "Stop doing this, please. You promised me you wouldn't just shut yourself off again."

"Well that was when I could think of how happy I made you," he snapped without thinking, finally releasing her wrist. "Now we just make each other crazy."

She stared at him, her eyes blazing, and she bit her lip in what Aang guessed was an attempt to keep herself from shouting at him. She just shook her head and looked down again. Without another word, she left the room, shutting the door behind her.

Aang, ignoring the pain in his back, buried his face in his hands.

0000000

It was nearly dusk, and Katara hadn't heard a sound from Aang's room. She was distraught and upset, but she was still worried about him in his weakened condition. So she made a plate of pancakes around dinner time and knocked on his door, fully intending to just give them to him and leave as fast as possible. But there was no answer.

"Aang?"

Still nothing. Katara swallowed hard and opened the door.

The plate shattered on the floor when Katara saw his empty bed and open window.

"No," she said to the empty room. Panic flooded her, making it impossible to think, to move, to breathe. "No."

In a flash, she was running down the hall and out the door of the house. "Sokka, Toph, where are you?" she shouted, her voice echoing over the quiet distillery grounds. "Appa, here boy!"

She needed Appa, he would be able to track Aang's scent. But Sokka and Toph had taken him for a walk nearly an hour ago. Where on earth could they be?

Deep in thought as she was, she ran right into her father as she tore across the grounds. He caught her before she managed to run off.

"Whoa there, what's the hurry?" he asked seriously.

Katara turned wide eyes up to his and he could instantly see something was terribly wrong. "Appa," she panted. "I have to find Appa, he can track him down, he'll know where he is-"

"Know where who is?"

Katara stopped as though her breath froze in her chest. She bit her lip, and all of a sudden Hakoda saw tears in his daughter's eyes. He frowned and took her firmly by her shoulders.

"Aang's gone, isn't he?" he said quietly.

Katara's jaw tightened and her hands clenched into fists. She looked at her feet, shaking her head. He heard her sniff and watched in surprise as she swiftly wiped her eyes on the back of her hand.

"Katara, please," he said seriously. "I haven't seen you cry in six years, you have to help me out here."

She shook her head again. "I don't understand," she whispered brokenly. "How could he just leave?" She gasped in another shuddering breath, finally looking up at him with tears in her eyes and running down her face. "How could he just leave me?"

Hakoda let out a sigh and pulled her into his arms, wrapping her in a hug. He let her cry out all of her tears into the front of his suit, shushing her. Katara was so strong, so proud, she had grown into such a beautiful young woman, he often forgot she was still his little girl.

"He didn't leave you, sweetheart," Hakoda murmured. "He could never leave you. The boy, for better or worse, cares about you too much. He'll be back."

"Spirits, Dad, he makes me so crazy," she cried into his jacket. "But I can't stand the thought of being without him."

Hakoda blinked in surprise. How could he not have noticed that his daughter had gone and fallen in love? But before he could put voice to these sentiments, the large, bouncing figure of Appa the sheepdog came barking into view.

"Appa," Katara exclaimed, immediately dropping to her knees and grabbing onto his collar to keep him still. Sokka and Toph followed him shortly. "Where the hell have you been?" Both of them shrugged. Katara scowled up at them. "You two keep disappearing together," she pointed out lowly. Toph pursed her lips and tapped an irritated foot on the ground, but remained as silent as Sokka who just tugged rather uncomfortably at his collar. "Oh never mind, we have to find Aang."

"What? Aang's gone?" the exclaimed in unison.

Katara ignored them. "You can find him, right Appa?" she said quietly. Appa tilted his head to the side and barked. Katara sighed and straightened up. She patted her knees. "Okay Appa, go find Aang!" she shouted, and pointed. Appa blinked, sniffed the ground, turned in a circle, and barked again. His tail started wagging. Katara looked over at Sokka.

"Go get your truck and follow me," she said in a rush, and just like that she and Appa were running toward the gate of the distillery.

Toph cast a worried glance back at Hakoda. "I'll go with her," she said, taking off after the rapidly retreating figures of Katara and Appa.

Sokka was about to go get his truck when Hakoda stopped him with a firm hand on his shoulder. "You watch out for her," he said seriously. "And Aang. Okay?"

Sokka nodded seriously. "Don't worry, Dad. I always do."


	36. Chapter 36

_Ba da bing, all over his nice ivy league suit._

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CHAPTER 36

"Aang?"

"Aang, where are you?"

Aang blinked, shaking the fog from his head. He didn't know how long ago he'd left the distillery, but it was long enough to leave him in serious pain. He wasn't sure where he had ended up. He knew he'd been on his way to The Palace, Boss Ozai's personal club, but somewhere along the way it had started to rain and he was cold. Every part of him was cold, inside out. And now he had no idea where he was.

He could swear he'd just heard his name, though…

"Aang, please! Where are you?"

Katara. Spirits, she sounded scared. They probably had Appa with them, tracking down his scent. Yep, there he was, barking as he splashed around the corner of the side street Aang was on. Or rather sitting on the curb of. Man, was he cold.

"Aang!"

Katara had just made it around the corner, Toph hot on her heels. He couldn't really see very well through all this rain. His head hurt. It was hard to focus. But then all of a sudden Katara was on her knees beside him, her arms around his torso and her face pressed against his neck.

This he could get used to. She was so warm and soft… it was like sinking into a hot bath. He exhaled slowly. Boy, he couldn't think straight.

The next thing he knew, Sokka's truck was in front of him and Toph was shoving him into the front seat. He sat there shivering, unaware of how much time was passing until he woke up in his bed at home. It was just like the day before. He didn't know how he had gotten here, but he was in his pajama pants with fresh bandages on. How long had he been asleep this time? He sat up abruptly and pain shot through his back.

"Slow down, you just woke up."

Aang glanced over in surprise. There at his bedside, as ever, was Katara. He can't have been asleep long, as she was still damp from the rain. She was frowning at him. He sighed.

"Why?" she said abruptly. He looked down, scowling. "Why did you leave, Aang? Why would you do this?"

"I don't think I can do this anymore," he burst out. "All these people are getting hurt in this ridiculous gang war… and apparently I'm the only one that can stop it. I don't want all of these people getting killed because of me."

Katara sighed and shook her head, frown still firmly in place. "Aang, don't be ridiculous."

"I'm not being ridiculous!" he snapped, getting abruptly to his feet despite the shooting pain in his back. "I didn't want this! I didn't ask to be the Avatar, I didn't want all my family and friends to die while I was out cold in a cellar. And I don't want anyone else getting hurt, especially not you."

"Especially not me?" she repeated, incredulous, as she got to her feet. He started pacing. "You think I'm not perfectly capable of taking care of myself? You must not know me at all."

"You know that's not what I meant!" he shouted, turning on her. She took a step back from him. She hadn't been expecting him to react so strongly. He stood there staring at her, breathing hard, as she sat back down in his window seat and looked away from him.

Aang let out a frustrated breath and turned back toward the door, running an agitated hand through his damp hair. How had they let this happen?

"I'm so tired, Aang," she whispered. He stopped and turned, his full attention on her. She didn't look at him. "Aren't you?"

He frowned warily. "Tired?" he repeated quietly.

She sighed and pulled her knees up to her chin, suddenly feeling very small. "I'm tired of being angry with you," she murmured. Aang didn't say anything, but she saw him stiffen in her peripheral vision. "I'm tired of missing you when you're so close."

"I didn't start this," he said, his voice flat. "You just started hating me."

"I never hated you," she said after a long silence. "I told you. Nothing you could do could ever make me hate you."

Aang swallowed hard. "Katara…"

"Is this all my fault?" she whispered. Aang froze. Her voice had never sounded like that before. "Is it my fault that we're like this?"

Aang let out a heavy sigh and sat down beside her. He glanced over, but her eyes were closed. He had to contain a startled gasp when the moonlight from the window behind them caught on two silver trails of tears down her cheeks. His immediate reaction was to reach out to her, but he didn't. He hated himself for it.

"No," he murmured, hanging his head. "I have my share of blame." He glanced at her again. Her eyes were open, but she was staring blankly ahead. "I'm sorry, Katara."

Finally, she looked at him. He had never seen her look so miserable, and his chest tightened painfully at the sight. At the thought that it was his doing.

The next moment, however, her arms were tight around his waist and her face was buried in his bare chest and she was taking long, deep breaths of him, tears wetting his bandages. It took him a fraction of a second to gather her into his arms, to pull her as close as he could, to bury his nose in her hair and kiss the top of her head over and over, inhaling the scent of her that he had been so deprived of.

"I'm so sorry, Aang. I've missed you so much," she cried into his shirt, her breath short and ragged. "I… I thought I lost you…"

He knew she wasn't just talking about now. She was talking about his near death in the sewer. She was talking about him running off while he was still healing. She was talking about this fight that was finally over.

"Shh," he hushed her gently, reveling in her warmth. "We're okay now."

"No we're not," she whispered, shaking her head against his chest. "No we're not, we're not okay." She took a heavy breath, but she didn't release him. She kept close, and he had no intention of letting go. "We can't just go back to the way things were after this. We can't just… we can't just pretend this never happened." Aang fell still, very aware of the weight in her words. She felt his heart race beneath her cheek. "Aang, we were so horrible to each other…"

"I'm sorry."

"Shh… you don't have to apologize, I just got scared. And now I kind of… I kind of know…" she struggled to find the right words.

"How I feel about you?" he finished for her, very quietly.

"No…" she murmured. "I just know you've thought about it too."

Aang sighed heavily. "Do you want to know how I feel about you?" he asked gently.

Katara didn't respond for several long moments. "Do you really know for sure?" she whispered hesitantly.

Aang didn't respond, but she could tell he was thinking about it.

"Aang…" she swallowed hard. "There's something you need to know about me. Right now, before anything else is said." She let go of him and pulled away, wiping her eyes. He offered her a weak smile. Katara closed her eyes and sighed. "You said once that we're both lost. We're both… scary and damaged." Aang nodded. "Well I… I am more than you think. More than anyone thinks. I'm really messed up. It's not just Sokka's paranoia that's kept me from being in a relationship. It's me." He frowned, confused. She glanced away. "I don't… I don't know how to love people. I shut myself off and I don't know how to open up again."

"Katara…"

She shook her head. "So before anything happens, I want you to think about how you feel about me," she said, very quietly. "I want you to know that any kind of relationship with me is going to be slow. I need you to be patient and… not expect too much from me."

Aang stared at her. "Katara, you mean you… you're actually willing to try this?" he asked, incredulous.

Katara sighed and looked down. "Well… it's like I said, we can't go back," she murmured. "So all that's left is forward."

Aang crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't want to do this if you're just doing it out of necessity," he said firmly. "Do you want to be my girlfriend or not?"

Katara blinked in surprise. The term 'girlfriend' had entered the conversation so suddenly, she didn't quite know how to react. She floundered under his questioning gaze for several long moments before she finally let out a frustrated groan.

"Dammit Sparky, of course I do," she snapped. He looked like he was about to break into a grin, but she held up a warning hand to stop him. "But that's not the question." He frowned, nodding for her to continue. "The question is whether you still want this, even after what I just told you. After everything we've just gone through. I mean… this whole thing started because I was afraid of a relationship with you in the first place."

Aang just quirked a bit of a smile. "Even after all of that, I still feel the same way about you."

She sighed, returning a somewhat nervous smile. "Okay."

"Okay," Aang grinned. "So… should we, I don't know, kiss or something?"

Katara swallowed and looked down. Aang's eyes widened and he held up his hands in a placating gesture.

"Okay, okay, too fast, it's okay," he said hurriedly. "We can wait."

Katara glanced up at him. "Really?"

Aang smiled gently. "Of course, as long as you want."

Katara grinned. "That, Sparky, was a test," she said quietly. She grabbed him by the back of his neck and hauled him down to her eye level. "And you just passed."

The first thought that raced wildly through her mind was just one word. _Finally._ Finally, finally… she was kissing him. Seven years… He tasted much better now. Though she hadn't gotten much of a taste from a swift peck on the lips at age nine. No… this was a real kiss. This was the kind of kiss she had wanted from him without realizing it.

She vaguely registered the fact that he had wrapped his arms around her and was fiercely kissing her back, but rational thought was rapidly leaving her behind. He pulled her closer. Finally, finally, finally…

He pulled away from her. Her eyes fluttered open and she blinked several times, taking a steadying breath. He looked at her for a moment, they shared a smile, then he moved in and kissed her one more time. This one was shorter, softer. She closed her eyes again, sighing into his mouth. This was perfect. This taste, this feeling… perfect.

"Boy," Katara exhaled when they finally parted to breathe. She shook her head briskly and opened her eyes, glancing up at him as though coming out of a daze. She smiled and he laughed, a little breathless. "That's really something, huh?"

"Dollface, I have been waiting for this moment for a long time," he sighed, leaning his forehead against hers. "And now that it's finally here, I'm at a loss for anything spectacular to say."

Katara smirked and brushed her nose against his. "I'm not expecting anything spectacular," she murmured, exhaling a somewhat overwhelmed sigh. "This is more than enough."

"What is?" Aang asked quietly, dropping a soft kiss on her forehead. Her heart fluttered like a bird in her chest and she felt herself blushing.

"This," she sighed. "Just… being this close to you. To anyone." She closed her eyes. "I'm just not used to it is all."

Aang smiled. "That's what I'm here for."

And he kissed her.

Until the day she died, Katara would never forget that kiss. It was something completely unexpected and extraordinary, a kiss to build a life on. She wouldn't realize that until much later, of course. At the time, she was still trying to get her brain to string together coherent thoughts again. But Aang's warm mouth on hers was making such a task exceedingly difficult.

Then all thought was gone. There was nothing in the world but them, right there, in that moment. No thinking, just feeling. Her lips, his tongue, her fingertips, his hands. The absence of thought left the door wide open for their inhibitions to escape. They had waited too long for this, let this build up to a point of no return. Everything was speeding up, every point of contact between them was gaining temperature. They were frantic, desperate, every time his mouth left hers she was left gasping for breath. His hands were in her hair, on her arms, up her back, down her thighs, on her hips, craving the feel of her. She was too far gone to mind, aware of nothing but the electricity in his touch and the noise he made when she sucked on his lower lip. He pulled her into his lap, straddling his waist, pressed together from hips to heart, and his mouth moved to her neck. She tilted her head back and inhaled sharply at this new sensation, her fingers digging into his shoulders.

Then his hands slid up her shirt, his fingers rough on her bare back, and the alarm bells finally went off in Katara's head.

"Aang…" she gasped.

He silenced her with another kiss, fast and hot, but as soon as his lips left hers she gasped his name again and he paused, breathing hard. They both sat there panting, his hands still beneath her shirt, hers still tight on his shoulders, lips still tantalizingly close.

"Aang," she murmured at last, breathless. She slid her hands down his arms to his elbows and gently pushed, detaching his hands from the bare skin at her back. "We should… we should stop."

He blinked, his eyes clearing as he stared at her, and all at once his hands were off of her.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry," he whispered. "I didn't mean to… I mean I just got caught up and I… oh Katara, I'm so so sorry…"

Katara let out a light laugh and reached up, taking his face in her hands and drawing him back to her. "It's okay," she murmured, thumbs stroking his cheeks as she placed feathery kisses on his lips. "Don't be sorry. That's been building up for a while. I feel a lot better, don't you?"

"Yeah," he laughed quietly, and she smiled. "You have no idea." He licked his lips and grinned. "I should tell you, you taste amazing."

She turned her head to her shoulder and took a deep breath. "My shirt smells like you."

"Is that a good thing?"

"Mm," she affirmed quietly, leaning her head on his shoulder. "I should go, someone will come to check on us."

"So?"

Katara chuckled, her lips tickling his neck as they curved into a smile. He felt the laugh travel through her, as close as they still were, and a contented sigh escaped him.

"Well if Sokka comes looking, I probably shouldn't be in your lap."

"But you fit so well."

"…Okay, just a few more minutes."

0000000

"Katara!"

Katara groaned and covered her ears. "Ugh, yelling. Whatever happened to sleep?"

But sleep wasn't an option for Katara, apparently, because all of a sudden she was being hauled to her feet. She immediately reacted, grabbing the wrist of whoever had their hands on her. By the time she woke up completely, she had Sokka's arm twisted behind his back. She looked around, confused. Aang was sitting bolt upright in his window seat, eyes wide. Oh yeah, she had fallen asleep there last night. She glanced at the doorway and saw Toph leaning against the frame, snickering.

"Katara, let go!" Sokka shouted. She obliged, albeit grudgingly, and he backed away from her quickly, rubbing his arm.

"What the hell, Sokka," Katara snapped. "Nice way to wake me up, thanks."

"What the hell is right!" Sokka shot back. "You think I liked waking up to find you two all cozied up together in here, huh?"

"How exactly is that your business?" she hissed, stepping toward him. He took another step back.

"Any boy you're that close to is immediately my business."

"Yeah, well you're just going to have to deal with that from now on," Katara shouted without thinking. A ringing silence followed. Toph's eyebrows had shot up into her bangs, Sokka's eye was twitching, and Katara didn't even want to turn around and see Aang's reaction.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sokka asked, his voice eerily calm.

Katara set her jaw and narrowed her eyes. She chanced a glance back at Aang. He was staring at her, utterly bewildered. He shrugged at her and she turned back to Sokka.

"Aang… Aang and I… we uh, we're…" she look back at him again and he looked just as panicked as she did. Sokka was looking angrier by the second, so Katara held up a hand and threw caution to the wind. "Look, nothing happened."

"Why would anything have happened?" Sokka asked shrilly. Toph snorted with laughter.

"We just kissed!" Katara burst out. "That's all, that's…" She looked back one last time. Aang looked a bit worried all of a sudden, and she realized she was speaking without thinking. That was more than just a kiss. At least, it was to her. "That… wasn't all." She smiled at him and he blinked in surprise. She resolutely faced Sokka. "We're a couple, him and me. As of last night, we're together. And you know what?" She laughed and poked Sokka in the chest. "There's nothing you can do or say that's going to change that. How about that?"

Sokka didn't say anything. He just kept looking back and forth between Katara and Aang, a frown on his face. Katara watched him silently, fists clenched at her sides.

At long last, Sokka sighed. He shrugged. And he said, "Okay."

Katara was flabbergasted. "Okay?" she repeated incredulously. "That's it?"

"Yeah," Sokka said simply. "That's it." Toph looked like she was going to faint. Katara distinctly heard Aang fall over behind her. "Just… don't do anything stupid." And he walked out of the room. Katara stared after him. Toph seemed rooted to the spot. Moments later, without a word, she left the room in a hurry.

Katara glanced over her shoulder. Aang was just picking himself up off the floor. He brushed off his pants as he got to his feet and looked up at her.

"Well," he said, sounding a bit overwhelmed. "That went better than I thought."

Katara grinned and took his face in her hands, tugging him closer so he had to catch her by the waist to stop from stumbling.

"You know," she whispered, smiling up at him. "I think this is working out pretty well."

She didn't give him a chance to reply.


	37. Chapter 37

_So... I've had an odd few months. Sorry this took me so long, but honestly, I did the best I could considering the circumstances. Those of you who read my Livejournal will know I was in a car accident and have been hospitalized for quite some time. I didn't really elaborate since I don't think a lot of people read my journal, so I'll just give you the general idea. I was in a car wreck, no one's fault really, just a wrong place wrong time sort of deal, ended up in the hospital with some broken bones and was out for three days apparently, woke up with some retrograde amnesia, boy was that a trip. But it didn't last long and now I'm good. I know right, it sounds like a really bad Lifetime movie or something. Or that one episode of Full House. You know? With the horse? But anyway, I've just been having some trouble writing, as you may imagine. I reread all of Parlor Tricks and all of my oneshots, haha. Good times. So now I'm all up to speed, good times were had by all, and I'm just glad I was already half done with this chapter before the accident. You can probably tell where I started up writing again, I dunno. It's all very Twilight Zoney in a way._

_But we can put this behind us and as my pal Walt Disney once said, we keep moving forward. Yay third season, woo!_

_

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CHAPTER 37

Sokka let out an exasperated sigh as he walked down the hall toward the kitchen.

"Could you move or something?" he asked over his shoulder.

Katara, who had been pinned to the outside of her closed bedroom door by Aang four minutes ago and hadn't had any interest in moving since, tossed out a careless "Don't want to" between kisses.

Sokka groaned and ducked into the kitchen. He nearly ran right into Toph, who was leaning against the counter eating an apple. She tilted her head toward him a bit.

"Don't hurt yourself, Sokka," she said quietly, taking another bite. Sokka frowned uncomfortably.

"Uh, sorry," he muttered, stepping back from her. She just smirked at him, and he suddenly felt like he needed to get out of the house. "You know what? I think I'm going to take a walk around the city." He turned abruptly and left the kitchen, only to be stopped in his tracks by the sight of Aang and Katara whom he'd managed to totally forget were there for about ten seconds.

"Ugh, that's it!" Sokka blurted. Aang and Katara both jumped a bit in surprise, Aang turning to look at him and Katara sighing heavily in irritation. "Everybody out of the house, we're going for a walk."

0000000

It was a beautiful summer day in the city. Sokka had, despite quite a bit of complaining, refused to take Susan out of the garage, so the four of them were hoofing it entirely. But by the time they got to the quiet south end of the city, most of their attitudes had improved considerably.

"So, care to enlighten us?" Katara asked lightly, her hand in Aang's as they all strolled down the sidewalk.

"About what?" Sokka replied.

Katara just smiled a bit. "Why you decided we were all taking a walk today."

Sokka shrugged uncomfortably, all eyes now curiously on him. "It's nice out, we could all use the exercise," he said evasively. "Plus it was getting a little… crowded in there."

Katara and Toph both laughed a bit. Aang, still trying to stay on Sokka's good side considering his brand spanking new boyfriend status, just smiled nervously.

"I'm sorry if it makes you uncomfortable, Sokka," Katara said.

Sokka glanced back at her, smirking. "What's that? Do I detect a hint of sincerity?"

Katara rolled her eyes. "You know I'm grateful that you're always looking out for me. But come on," she grinned and squeezed Aang's hand. "You know he'd never give you any reason to shoot him."

"Shoot me?" Aang repeated, his voice cracking a bit. Katara just smiled fondly at him.

Sokka sighed a bit, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, I know," he admitted. "That's why I just said 'okay' yesterday, remember?"

"How could I forget?" Aang said in a rush. "I thought you were going to kill me."

Toph and Sokka both laughed. "Well I like to think the four of us are still friends before anything else, right?" he said lightly. He was answered with three nods.

Toph smiled. "Wow Sokka, that was surprisingly sentimental of you," she began. He was about to respond when she punched him in the shoulder in what she probably thought was a friendly manner but still sent him staggering a few steps. "You're not going soft on us, are you?"

Sokka didn't respond as he rubbed his arm indignantly. Katara, on the other hand, glanced between the two of them with narrowed eyes.

"What's going on with you two?" she asked suspiciously.

Sokka tripped and would have fallen if Aang hadn't grabbed him by the elbow. Toph, on the other hand, didn't react at all other than to glance toward Katara, eyebrows raised, and ask, "What do you mean?" with genuine confusion.

Katara and Aang helped a flustered Sokka to his feet, Toph just tapping her foot impatiently.

"Well gee, with a reaction like that, I can't imagine why I asked in the first place," Katara sighed sarcastically, brushing off Sokka's shoulders. He waved her off, tugging on his collar.

"What reaction?" he muttered. "I tripped."

All three of them looked at him sharply and he froze. His voice had squeaked when he said the word "tripped."

"Did your voice just crack?" Aang asked, clearly trying to stifle a laugh.

"That only happens when you lie," Katara exclaimed triumphantly.

"No it doesn't!"

"Baloney! It's done that since you were seven!"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Where are you going, Sokka? I thought we were just taking a leisurely walk!"

Katara chased her blushing brother down the sidewalk, laughing. Aang and Toph just glanced at each other.

"So… really, is there something… going on?" Aang asked her quietly.

Toph looked down, and to Aang's eternal shock, she actually blushed a bit. "Nothing that concerns you, Twinkle Toes," she sighed. She tapped her heel on the sidewalk. "Katara's caught up with Sokka, we'd better ankle."

And she strode off without another word. Aang followed her silently, mystified. When they caught up with the siblings, they were having a heated argument at a very low volume. Both looked furious at the other, and Sokka was doing a lot of pointing at the buildings around them.

"Guys, what's going on?" Aang asked when he caught up. The two of them hissed at him, fingers to their lips. Katara took his hand and pulled him closer.

"Don't talk too loud," she whispered. "We kind of… wandered someplace we shouldn't have."

"Wandered?" Sokka hissed. "This is your fault!"

"Oh dry up, Sokka, now is not the time!"

"Where are we?" Toph cut in quietly. "I've never been here before."

Aang finally took a moment to look around. He'd definitely never seen this part of the city, either. All the buildings were tall and stately, surrounded by wrought iron fences and perfectly manicured lawns. It was almost completely silent, the sound of the traffic several blocks over muffled by impeccably trimmed hedges.

"You don't know where we are?" Sokka asked, slightly incredulous. "We're in deep shit, that's where we are. Enemy territory."

"Oh no… we're in the Heights?" Aang whispered, eyes going wide. Katara and Sokka nodded vigorously.

"What? Seriously, what's going on?" Toph repeated, annoyed.

"The west side of the city, Sunset Heights," Sokka explained in a hurried whisper. "This is the richest part of town, always crawling with cops, but they're not here looking for the bad guys because this is where the bad guys live."

"This is where the Dragons come from," Katara hissed. "Sunset Heights. All of these pretty manors, these perfect lawns, all of it is a setup. It's so they can tell if someone who doesn't belong here wanders in. They all wear red so they can distinguish their own kind. The second someone looks out the window and sees us…"

"Well can't we just leave?" Aang asked frantically. "We made it all the way in without being noticed."

"Yeah no kidding, let's get the hell out of here," Toph muttered through gritted teeth.

The four of them turned slowly, trying to appear casual as they walked back along the sidewalk. Katara's hand was tight in Aang's, and he tried to give her a reassuring squeeze, but he was just as panicked as she was. They were all extremely wanted in Sunset Heights, and they all carried the wanted posters to prove it.

But the four of them hadn't made it ten feet before they heard a police siren blare to life just down the street.

"Damn," Sokka said abruptly, freezing and whipping around. "We've got to hide… there." He pointed through the bars of the fence beside the sidewalk. There was a thick hedge around the backyard of the manor on the other side. "Up and over, let's go."

Katara gave him a look. The fence was six feet tall.

"I got it," Aang said quickly. "Toph, get on my back."

Toph didn't argue, she just clambered onto Aang's back as he took Katara and Sokka's hands.

"This may jar you a bit," he warned briefly before he leapt seven feet into the air on a draft of wind and sent all four of them sailing clear over the fence, the front yard, and the hedge, only to come tumbling to a landing on the grass behind the house. They all lied quite still for several moments, breathing heavily, until they heard a police car blaze by.

"We're in trouble," Katara whispered. "There's no way we'll make it out of here without getting caught."

"Oh I think there's a way," Aang replied. They all turned to look at him. He was grinning as he sat up, pointing to the clothes line laden with all shades of red, drying in the morning sun.

"Why Aang, are you suggesting we steal?" Katara asked, feigning affront.

"Steal from the rich, give to… us," he replied with a shrug. "You know, like Robin Hood."

"More like Robin Hoods," Toph snorted.

"Works for me," Sokka said, getting slowly to his feet and sneaking toward the line, ducking under windows to avoid unwanted attention from within the house. The other three followed at a crouch, plucking clothes off the line and racing back to the cover of the hedges. They all pondered over their acquisitions.

"Why do all these clothes match?" Aang asked, confused. "The only different pieces are the pants and the skirts." Indeed, the pile of clothes consisted exclusively of dark red blazers, grey sweater vests, dark red slacks, or red and grey pleated skirts.

"They must be uniforms," Katara replied shrewdly. "For that private school full of fire breathers at the top of the hill." She made a face, but Sokka just picked up an armful of clothes.

"We'll just wear them until we get out of here," he said reasonably. "Once they see red, they don't give you a second thought. It'll be fine, trust me."

Several minutes later, they were all back on the sidewalk in various states of discomfort. The boy the slacks belonged to was exactly Sokka's size, but Aang's clothes were a bit long. The girl who owned the skirts was much taller than Katara, so both she and Toph had to do quite a bit of cuffing to get anything to fit. So the ragtag group of outlaws-in-disguise made their way casually down the street, getting more and more anxious the closer they got to freedom.

"Act natural," Toph hissed suddenly. "The cop car is coming back around."

Sure enough, the car that had blared by earlier crawled around the corner, the two officers inside peering out their windows suspiciously. When their eyes fell on four teenagers ambling down the street, it was only a matter of time before the rolled to a stop at the curb beside them.

"Hey," the officer in the driver's seat called. The four of them stopped and looked over, trying to look innocent. Both the officers were frowning. "Kids were a lot smarter in my day."

"What uh… what do you mean, sir?" Aang asked.

"When we were truant, we at least had the sense to change out of our school uniforms," the man replied. "Now get in the back, all of you."

The four of them numbly crammed themselves into the back of the car, all in various states of pale silence as the car turned around and carried them slowly further and further from where they were supposed to be going. Aang slid his hand into Katara's at his side. One corner of her mouth turned up in a smile.

0000000

"Well, here we are," the officer in the passenger seat said as the car stopped in front of the building at the top of the hill. It was much larger and statelier than the homes below, and as many times more imposing, considering the gargoyles on the roof. All four of them, plus the shotgun officer, got out of the car and stood on the sidewalk. The officer frowned.

"I'm gonna stand right here and watch you four walk straight into the building, okay?" he said flatly. "Normally I wouldn't care so much, but it's been a slow day. Now move it."

Sokka was the first to move, nodding and turning toward the building. His face was set into a defiant scowl as he stomped up the stairs to the door, the other following him. None of them looked back to see if the officer was actually watching. Sokka shoved the door open and strode inside, and the four of them stopped dead in the doorway.

The grand, sweeping main hallway was full of students. None of them spared a passing glance for the four of them. No one noticed Katara's dark Riversider skin, Toph's white eyes, Sokka's concealed gun, Aang's tattooed hands.

"Whoa," Aang said quietly.

"No kidding," Sokka replied.

"We're actually blending in," Katara muttered. "That almost never happens."

"So… what now?" Toph asked.

"Hey."

They all froze, expecting the worst. A girl, probably Aang and Toph's age, approached them with a curious smile on her face.

"Are you all new? I don't think I've seen any of you before," she said pleasantly.

"This is our first day," Aang blurted. The others glanced at him. He shrugged a bit. "I'm uh… Kuzon."

The girl smiled and shook Aang's hand. "Nice to meet you Kuzon, I'm On Ji."

Katara frowned. Toph failed to stifle a laugh. Aang glanced over and grinned at her.

"Right, On Ji, this is my girlfriend Kaya," he said smoothly. Katara smiled as he took her hand. "That's her brother, Lee, and our friend Sai." Sokka and Toph both waved.

"Nice to meet all of you," On Ji replied, still smiling. "You should probably find out what class you're supposed to be in. Here, I'll take you to the office."

The four of them silently followed On Ji into the crowded hallway. They came upon a door marked "office" quickly enough, enduring only a few curious looks from the other students. After a brief debacle with a harassed-looking secretary who didn't seem to like the four of them at all, least of all Toph who kept complaining about how drafty the hall was, how cold the floor tiles were, how noisy all those red shirts outside were, and so on, the four of them were sent their separate ways to join classes of students their own respective ages. With nothing but a nod from Sokka, the four of them got the message as they split up outside the door. They were all to keep their heads down and get the hell out as soon as possible.

0000000

Aang stood outside the door of the room he was supposed to be in. This was a terrible idea. He'd never been to school before, Gyatso taught him everything he knew. He taught him to read and write, math and history, geography, literature, the works. Aang had never once been compelled to set foot in a school. Gyatso taught him what he needed to know to survive in the world they lived in.

And now he was in a big stuffy private school full of rich firebenders, the sons and daughters of the very men who killed his family. This had terrible idea written all over it.

He took a deep breath and opened the door. The room was already full of students at rigid wooden desks. The teacher was at the front of the room, staring at Aang like he had just committed a crime.

"You are late," she said stiffly. Aang closed the door behind him.

"Uh… sorry, ma'am, it's my first day and uh…"

"Do not say 'uh' at the beginning and end of a sentence, stand up straight, and look at me when you are speaking to me," she shot back. Aang immediately did as he was told. "What is your name?"

"Kuzon," Aang said immediately. "…Ma'am."

"Sit down there, beside Shoji. I am Mrs. Kwan, and you shall address me only as Mrs. Kwan. Not Mrs. K, not Kwan, but Mrs. Kwan. Understood?"

Aang glanced over. A boy in the third row tilted his head toward the empty desk beside him. Aang could only assume this was Shoji and was infinitely thankful for the hint.

"Yes ma'am," he said, and hastily took his seat beside Shoji. Mrs. Kwan picked up a thick book and began lecturing about the French Revolution. Aang glanced around the room. A few of the students were looking at him curiously, but no one seemed to think him out of place. Shoji smiled at him. Aang smiled back. He heard someone quietly cough behind him and chanced a look backward to see On Ji grinning as well. Aang gave her a slight nod and a smile.

Odd. These people were supposed to be the sons and daughters of crazed firebenders. Since when were insane murderers nice?

0000000

"Oh thank goodness," Katara sighed in relief when Aang rounded the corner outside Sunset Heights. "What the hell took you so long?"

"Yeah, we thought the firebreathers got you," Toph snorted.

"On the contrary," Aang said airily, kissing Katara's cheek. "I want to go back tomorrow."

The three of them stared at him.

"Are you out of your mind?" Sokka shouted, throwing his hands up in the air. "Katara, reason with him."

"What? Who put you in charge of me?"

"If you're done?" Toph interrupted loudly. The two of them scowled at each other.

"I don't get what the big deal is," Aang said with a shrug as he began walking back toward the distillery. "We managed to go unnoticed today. It's like we're on the inside, getting information. How is that a bad thing?"

"Aang," Katara said quietly, catching up to him and taking his hand. "We went unnoticed this once. There's no guarantee it'll happen again. Why do you want to go back?"

"Because they're not the enemy," he replied.

"What do you mean? Of course they're the enemy," Sokka said sourly.

"That's just it, I thought they were too, but they were really nice to me," Aang said with a grin. "I even made a couple friends."

"Let me guess," Katara said coolly. "On Ji one of them?"

Aang grinned at her. "You're not jealous, are you?"

She scowled. "Don't start with me, Sparky," she ground out.

"Come on," he said cheerfully, squeezing her hand. "She's just a classmate. Besides, you think I didn't notice that every boy in that hallway was looking at you?"

Katara blushed. "I don't know what you're talking about," she replied lightly. But Aang could see her smirking.

Sokka placed himself firmly in front of them, a deep frown on his face. "Can we forget about your dysfunctional flirting for two seconds and focus on the issue here?" he asked through clenched teeth.

"Yeah, Airhead," Toph added, countering Sokka's anger and suspicion with curiosity. "Why do you want to go back?"

Aang thought about it for a moment. "I guess I just feel like we could teach them something," he said with a shrug. "You know… put our two cents in before they get brainwashed by the Dragons."

"What, you're going to bind and gag the teacher and tell them everything they grew up believing is wrong?" Sokka demanded.

"No…" Aang trailed off thoughtfully, resuming walking. "I was thinking more like a secret dance party."

"A what?!"

"Hm," Katara hummed. "I actually like the sound of that."

"You what?!"

"Sounds fun," Toph shrugged.

"Sounds what?!"

"Oh Sokka, calm down, would you?" Katara sighed. "It's just a dance. What's the harm?"

"A dance with the enemy!" he hissed. "These are miniature Dragons we're talking about!"

"Yeah, they are now," Aang interrupted. "But if we intervene, maybe they can just be miniature people."

Sokka spluttered for several long moments as the other three got further and further down the sidewalk. "Well… but… where are you going to have a secret dance party?! You sure as hell can't bring them all to the distillery!"

"What, do you think I'm some kind of idiot?" Aang replied sensibly. "Of course not, we'll fix up one of the old Ace places. Everything's copacetic."

Sokka was left rooted to the street corner, staring after them with his mouth open. "Have you all lost your minds?!" he shouted after them.

"You're the one talking to no one!" Toph called over her shoulder.


	38. Chapter 38

_Oh look, I'm not dead._

_So... I've got some explaining to do. Namely... I so lost my inspiration guys. It's a downer. I like... can't watch Avatar reruns because it bums me out for some reason. Serious Avatar Withdrawal Syndrome. I'll have to fix it somehow. Inspiration and all that._

_But here it is, the long awaited chapter 38. Your Christmas gift from Lyralocke. Or Hanukkah gift. Or Kwanzaa. Or Solstice. Or Festivus. Or Crimbo._

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CHAPTER 38

"Hey, Sparky."

Aang turned around in surprise. He was sitting on the grassy bank of the river just outside the fence of the distillery, Katara's thinking place, and there she was, leaning against the fence behind him with a smile on her face.

"Something on your mind?" she asked quietly.

He grinned and got to his feet, offering her a hand. "Just you," he replied smoothly, wiggling his eyebrows. Katara laughed and took his hand, rolling her eyes.

"So what brings you out here so late?" she whispered after a light kiss of greeting. "You know it's nearly midnight, and you have school in the morning." He laughed as they both sat down on the bank, Katara leaning her head on his shoulder.

"I just wanted to think," he sighed, wrapping an arm around her. "Maybe Sokka's right. Maybe I am screwy to go back tomorrow."

"Maybe," Katara consented quietly with a smirk. He scoffed and she just grinned. "Do you want me to go with you?"

"Not if you don't want to," he said quietly, glancing at her. She always looked prettier in moonlight, he noted to himself. Her eyes were brighter. Probably to do with the waterbender in her. "I mean… they'll just put us in separate classes again. What was your class like, anyway?"

Katara sighed dramatically. "Exceedingly dull," she said tragically. "The professor smelled like onions. And the boys were complete goofs."

"Oh? You were… spending time with the boys?" Aang asked lightly.

Katara chuckled to herself. "No, Sparky, they just couldn't answer a single question correctly. I mean… come on, arithmetic isn't all that difficult. Especially if Sokka can do it." Aang let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Katara kissed his cheek. "You're so sweet."

He turned toward her with a grin. "Dollface, I've got nothing on you," he said, flashing a debonair smile. The two of them tried to keep their laughs quiet considering the late hour. They settled into a comfortable silence, Katara dozing on his shoulder while Aang watched the river roll by.

"This is nice," he said at length.

"Hm? What is?"

"Being with you."

"…Yeah. It is. Really nice."

"Good."

Katara smiled, eyes closed. "So… have you decided which club to use?" she asked gently.

"Clubs, actually," he replied lightly. "The Ace of Clubs. It's the farthest west, so it'll be the closest to the Heights. We've just got to go clean it up after I get done tomorrow."

He could practically feel her smiling. "Sounds like fun. But… can I ask you something?"

"Technically you just did."

"Oh, smart guy," she laughed, flicking his ear with her index finger. He ducked his head in a mock defensive gesture, grinning, but she just smiled at him. "Really though, Aang. What exactly do you hope to accomplish with this dance?"

Aang frowned, fixing his gaze on the stars. "That's why I came out here, actually," he sighed. "I mean… I guess everything isn't as black and white as I thought, now that I've met some of them. There's this kid Shoji, and you met On Ji," (Katara scoffed at her mention) "I guess us just assuming that they're evil because they're from the Heights is the same as them assuming we're river trash."

Aang was silent for several moments, waiting for Katara's response. After a few lengthy moments, however, he glanced over to see her smiling at him.

"What?" he asked, confused.

"You just called yourself river trash."

"Huh?"

Katara laughed lightly. "No, I mean… you said 'assuming we're river trash' instead of 'assuming you're river trash.' You counted yourself as a Riversider."

Aang's cheeks reddened. "Oh, sorry… I didn't mean-"

Katara cut him off with a soft kiss that left him utterly silent. She smiled at him. "I didn't say it was a bad thing," she said quietly.

Aang laughed, a bit breathless. "You're one in a million, you know that Dollface?" he murmured, wrapping an arm around her waist and kissing the top of her head.

She shrugged, grinning. "Eh, so I've been told." They fell silent again and Katara suddenly felt butterflies in her stomach. She was with Aang, here on the riverbank, late in the silent night. Nobody was watching them, nobody was near enough to hear them. She knew what this would mean with any other boy. But with Aang… it was hard to be sure. She had known for a long time that it wouldn't be a casual fling with Aang. Not just wouldn't, but couldn't. She cared about him too much. And he… well, he adored her. She could tell suddenly that he was thinking along the same lines because he shifted restlessly beside her, his gaze fixed on the river and a concentrated expression on his face.

"Aang?" she whispered, biting her lip. He didn't respond right away, so she slowly slipped a hand into his. It was warm, and larger than hers. His fingertips were rough in stark contrast to her soft skin, and she could feel him sweating a bit. He swallowed hard and she let out a quiet breath. He finally glanced down at her, and she was a bit startled by the look in his eyes. It was a dark gaze, and it brought a blush to her cheeks.

He wanted her, that much was obvious. But he would never take advantage of her. In fact, if anything was to ever happen between them, Katara was sure she would have to be the instigator. And at the moment… she bit her lip again. The moon was glowing so nicely… filling her with energy. Being this near to the river probably didn't help, but she felt like electricity was running through her. If he kept looking at her like that…

"We should go back," he said suddenly, his voice low and a bit hoarse.

She breathed a sigh of relief, nodding. "Okay…" she murmured, her voice shaking a bit. He got to his feet and pulled her up beside him with the hand still in hers. They turned their backs resolutely on the moon and the river and stepped through the hole in the fence, walking slowly toward the house.

She could feel him calming down, his hand loosening its grip on hers and his breath evening. It soothed her, quieted the butterflies in her stomach.

But then, all of a sudden, they were in the hallway between their rooms. She took her hand from his and looked up at him, her heart beating rapidly again. He leaned down to kiss her and she eagerly obliged, taking a firm hold on the lapels of his jacket to pull him closer. His hands were warm and heavy on her hips and she squeezed her eyes shut tight when she felt herself take a few steps forward, pushing them both into the doorway of his room. She didn't mean to do it… but she could feel his heart thudding against her hand when he noticed. His touch left her abruptly, leaving her cold and startled with several feet of space between them. His eyes were wide and he looked completely ashamed of himself when he muttered a hasty "goodnight" and shut himself in his room.

That was when Katara realized… _he_ had stepped toward his room, and she had simply followed. She hadn't even noticed. It was a bit jarring, realizing how much power he had over her. How she would have just blindly stumbled into his bed without a second thought. She wandered into her own room, lost in thought, and leaned back against the closed door with a long, slow exhale. She was still shaking a bit. She nearly laughed at the thought that he literally left her weak at the knees. She caught sight of herself in the mirror when she opened her eyes, all blushing and flustered, and had to take another deep breath before changing into her nightgown and climbing rather uncomfortably into bed.

Suddenly, it seemed very unlikely that she would get any sleep.

0000000

When Katara woke up the next morning, much later than usual, Toph was waiting in the kitchen for her to make breakfast.

"Oh, Aang already left," Toph said with a careless wave of her hand when Katara asked. "He has classes you know."

Katara slid a plate of scrambled eggs and toast into place in front of Toph, who promptly took her feet off the table and began wolfing the meal down. Katara settled into her own plate with a considerable amount of poise in comparison.

"So Toph," Katara said at length, casting a sidelong glance across the table. "Are you going to tell me the truth?"

"Bout what?" she asked through a mouthful of toast, wiping her lips on the back of her hand.

"You and Sokka."

Toph slowly put her fork down on the table and swallowed. She cleared her throat quietly and cracked her knuckles under the table.

"I don't know if it's any of your business…" she began slowly, her eyebrows drawing down sharply. Katara just frowned at her. Toph sighed. "Look… I didn't mean for it to happen. I just kind of… started liking him."

Katara laughed a bit. "What, really? My brother?"

Toph actually blushed a bit and rolled her pale eyes. "He's always so nice to me, even though he tries to act all tough… and he makes me laugh, you know, accidentally," she sighed, frustrated, and scratched the back of her neck. "I dunno, nobody has ever treated me like he does. Like an equal."

"I treat you like an equal," Katara protested with a frown.

Toph smirked. "Yeah, I know, so does Aang. But you're both a bit taken, aren't you?"

"Good point."

Toph leaned her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her hands. "Look, nothing's really happened. It's just… well we were spending a lot of time together when Aang was down for the count and you were locked up in there taking care of him. And this one night we were on a delivery and he wouldn't shut up about his stupid boomerang, so I just kind of… kissed him."

"What?" Katara blurted.

Toph's cheeks turned bright red. "Well he stopped talking!" she muttered defensively. "And he didn't exactly try to stop me."

"But…" Katara began slowly.

"Suki?" Toph cut in, quirking an eyebrow at her. "Three words can solve this problem." She raised three fingers. "Don't. Tell. Her."

"You mean you're okay with…"

Toph cut her off again. "Look Sweetness, I'm not looking for a husband here. Or a boyfriend. Hell, I don't care about that stuff at all. Sokka knows that, I know that. It's cool if he's in love with her or whatever." She shrugged. "I just want to make out with him every so often. So sue me."

Katara stared at her silently for several long moments. She took a deep breath. "I… I don't know what to say."

Toph shrugged again. "Eh, I don't expect you to say anything. In fact, I'd prefer it that way. Thanks for breakfast."

And she left the kitchen. Katara sat there for several more minutes, trying to digest what she had just learned.

0000000

Later that day, in the bright, clear afternoon, Katara and Sokka found themselves standing in front of an old Ace establishment for the second time. A toy shop with boarded windows and a chained door. Toph stepped out of the truck after them, tapping a foot on the ground.

"Well we have to go inside, unless you want me to tunnel into the street," she pointed out.

Katara shrugged and glanced at her brother. "Ready?"

"Of course."

She water whipped the chain in half and Sokka kicked the door in. The building was dark and dusty, consisting mostly of bare shelf space. A few old wooden or tin toys were left behind, but it had been cleaned out for the most part.

Toph strode past the two of them, paying no mind to the store's interior. "Secret entrance is back here," she said, shoving aside a shelf with considerable ease and revealing a small door. Katara and Sokka followed her slowly, each carefully inspecting the remains of the old store. They reached the back just as Toph was opening the door, and the doorway was just her height. Katara and Sokka both had to duck to get through. But as soon as they crossed the threshold, the scenery changed considerably.

They found themselves in a short expanse of hallway. The floor and wood-paneled walls were a dark, fragrant wood, and a thick white carpet stretched from the doorway they stood in to a set of doors at the other end. These doors were something else entirely compared to the door they had just passed through. They were seven feet tall and as wide as the hallway, burnished with a great bronze suit of clubs.

"Well, shall we?" Katara asked the other two quietly. They both jumped a bit and glanced at her. This place was almost too quiet. She just shrugged and proceeded down the hall, the other two following her.

The three of them froze in the doorway. It was clear this had been a richer branch of the Aces in their day. The club was huge, bigger than the dog collector's ballroom in Ba Sing Se. It looked like the photos Katara had seen of the French palace at Versailles. The walls were white, adorned with gold paneling and filigree. Two enormous crystal chandeliers gathered dust near the high, arched ceilings. The room was packed with overturned card tables, a bandstand stood at the far end of the room, and on either side were long bar counters. Shattered glass and torn papers littered the floor, and most of the tables had been smashed to pieces.

"We've got a lot of work to do," Sokka said quietly, letting out a low whistle.

"No kidding," Katara sighed. "How long until Aang gets here?"

Toph snickered a bit. "A few hours. What, you miss him already?"

Katara just rolled her eyes. "I hope everything is going okay for him…"

0000000

Everything was not going okay for Aang. He'd now been yelled at by Mrs. Kwan four times, and class had only started two hours ago. Now he was in the courtyard with his classmates during lunch break, and On Ji and Shoji, along with two of their friends, were trying to cheer him up.

"You're just getting used to it here," Shoji said quietly. "This school is pretty intimidating. As is Mrs. Kwan."

"Tell me about it," On Ji laughed. "She used to scare the hell out of me. But you do get used to her."

"Hey."

The five of them stopped talking and glanced over. A boy about Aang's age was approaching them. He was clearly muscular, and angry, which Aang figured was a bad thing since he was making a beeline for him. On Ji smiled and got to her feet.

"Hide, there you are," she said with a grin, approaching him and taking his hands. She leaned up to kiss his cheek, but he ignored her, glaring at Aang.

"You making a pass at my girlfriend?" Hide demanded. Aang blinked and looked around.

"You talking to me?" he asked, pointing to himself in confusion.

"Who else, bud?" Hide growled.

"Hide, cut it out," On Ji said with a frown. "This is Kuzon, he just moved here."

"I don't care where he's from or where he's going if he's been hitting on my girlfriend," Hide brushed her off and grabbed Aang by the collar, hauling him to his feet. Shoji stood up angrily to come to Aang's aid, but Aang just gave Hide a shove to give himself some space.

"I have a girlfriend of my own, thanks," Aang said coolly, straightening his stolen blazer.

"Hey, don't shove me, kid," Hide shouted, and he took a swing at Aang.

But Aang had been expecting this, and Hide was surprised to find Aang behind him when his punch was supposed to land. He stumbled and just barely caught himself, whipping around in anger.

"I don't want to fight you," Aang said calmly.

Hide just growled and took another swing at him, which he ducked under.

"Hide, stop!" On Ji shouted angrily.

"Go Kuzon! Sock him in the jaw!" Shoji cheered. A crowd immediately gathered, students cheering for one side or the other.

"Katara is going to be so mad at me," Aang sighed, sidestepping another punch.

"What are you muttering about?" Hide roared, barreling straight past Aang.

Aang just shook his head and tried to take his leave through the crowd, but the students were packed so tightly together he didn't make much headway before Hide grabbed his shoulder. With another sigh, Aang took a firm hold of his wrist and spun around, throwing him to the ground.

"What is going on here?!"

The unmistakable voice of Mrs. Kwan quickly silenced the crowd.

"Oh boy," Aang muttered. He turned resolutely toward her with his hands in the air out of reflex. She frowned.

"Put your hands down and follow me," she snapped. "Principal's office."

The crowd let out a low "oooooh" as Aang silently followed her through the parted sea of students.

0000000

"Knock know."

Katara and Sokka turned toward the entrance of the Ace of Clubs, tense on instinct. But Katara instantly broke into a grin and headed toward the door to embrace the newcomer.

"What took you so long, Sparky?" she asked, kissing Aang's cheek.

"Ah well," he muttered, embarrassed. "I got into a fight."

Toph laughed appreciatively. "Nice one," she snorted.

"A fight?" Katara asked, lifting an eyebrow with a frown. "Well you know I have to ask-"

"I know I know," Aang sighed, looking at his feet. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, but-"

"What? I was just going to ask if you won."

Aang and Toph burst out laughing. Sokka let out an irritated sigh.

"Look, do I have to finish cleaning myself or what?" he blurted, pointing the handle of his broom toward them like a sword.

"Wow, Sokka, the place looks great so far," Aang replied as he finally got a good look at the place. The trash had been cleared from the floor and the cobwebs swept from the walls. Sokka had managed to find the power switch, so the chandeliers were glowing from above. All of the tables and chairs still in one piece had been righted.

"All that's left is some dusting," Katara said with a smile, looking proudly at their work. "And we have uh… acquire a few things."

Aang glanced at her. "What kinds of things?"

Toph counted off on her fingers as she listed. "Food, a band, and gee what am I missing…" She pretended to think about it. "Can't exactly have a party without some beverages now can we?"

"There should be a ton of food left in the cellars," Aang said thoughtfully. "I could have lived at the Spades for three more years at least. The school band is coming to play."

"Ugh," Katara groaned. "School band?"

Aang just grinned at her. "Hey, they're not bad," he laughed defensively. "They'll do some jazz, no sweat."

"And I suppose I'm in charge of getting the alcohol," Sokka sighed dramatically. The other three looked at him.

"Well, actually, I was gonna ask Katara to-" Aang began, but Sokka cut him off.

"No no, no need to lie, Aang," he continued loudly. "I know when I'm needed." He strode past them toward the doors. "I'll be back in thirty minutes." And he was gone.

Katara rolled her eyes. "So melodramatic," she sighed. Aang smiled. "Come on, I'll take you two to the cellar."

The three of them spent the next half hour bringing food up from the cellar. True to his word, Sokka returned in twenty eight minutes with a stack of crates brimming with alcohol.

The club was finished. The sun was setting. The party was about to begin.


	39. Chapter 39

_Go to youtube. Look up "Lindy Hop Showdown." Watch it. This chapter will be immeasurably more entertaining if you do. Trust me._

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CHAPTER 39

"Uh, Aang?"

Aang jumped a bit when Katara tapped him on the shoulder. She was frowning.

"I'm a bit confused," she admitted quietly.

Aang sighed. "Yeah, me too."

The band had set up and was playing some upbeat swing music, but nobody was dancing. The sea of students, all still wearing their uniforms, seemed content to just awkwardly stand around.

"They're not even drinking," Sokka muttered. "What's wrong with these people?"

Aang shrugged. "I'll go find my friends, see what's going on."

Aang disappeared into the crowd and Katara smiled a bit. Sokka glanced at her.

"What?" he asked.

"His friends," she laughed a bit, shrugging. "I dunno, it's kind of cute."

Sokka sighed heavily and walked away.

"Hey, Shoji! There you are," Aang smiled when he found his friends. Shoji looked rather uncomfortable. "What's wrong? Why isn't anyone dancing?"

"Uh, well," Shoji scrunched his nose nervously. "None of us have been to a dance before."

Aang stared. "What?" he asked, incredulous.

On Ji shrugged. "It's true. I mean… our older brothers and sisters did this kind of thing when they were our age, but stuff has changed since then."

Aang snorted with laughter. "No it hasn't," he said simply. "Come on, I'll show you guys."

He raced up to the bandstand and the music stopped. Every eye turned to him.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen," he said loudly, addressing the crowd. "It has recently come to my attention that you've never been to any dances before, and I find this deeply disturbing." He signaled to the band to start playing. "So I'm going to teach you how to dance. On Ji, your assistance please."

Aang hopped down from the bandstand and On Ji joined him in front of the crowd. He took both of her hands and started shifting between his feet in tune with the up tempo music.

"All you have to do is listen to the music and express yourself," he explained with a grin. "Kick up your heels. It's what jazz is all about."

On Ji mimicked his movements, a smile growing on her face. He heard murmurs spread through the crowd.

"See? It's easy," he called out to the audience. "Shoji, take over for me would you?"

Aang paired the two of them up and moved throughout the crowd, putting people together to dance. After a short time the embarrassment started to wear off and people started laughing. Soon the floor was alive with dancing, everyone laughing and talking with each other. Katara grinned from the bar.

"You have to admit, he has his skill sets," she sighed, shaking her head a bit.

"No kidding," Toph laughed. "Learn something new about him every day."

Suddenly, Sokka sidled up and cleared his throat awkwardly. The girls both glanced at him. He looked agitated. "Um…"

"Spit it out, Sokka," Katara smirked at him.

He glared at her and turned to face Toph. "Hey, uh… do you want to um… dance or something?" he muttered.

Toph blinked several times. Katara's mouth had long since dropped open. Aang appeared beside her and was about to say something but she shushed him so she could hear what Toph would say. Aang looked between them, confused, but she just took his hand and he decided he was content to wait a few moments.

"Really?" was the first word out of Toph's mouth.

Sokka clearly hadn't expected that as an answer. He stammered for a few seconds. "Well… yeah, really. Would you dance with me?"

This time, Aang's mouth dropped open.

Toph lowered her pale eyes. "Sokka…" she began quietly, but Sokka offered her a hand.

"It's just a dance," he said with a smile.

She frowned and took his hand. "I've never danced before," she admitted disdainfully.

"It's easy, just follow me."

Aang and Katara watched the two of them as they entered the dancing crowd. Sokka took her hands just as Aang had taken On Ji's and started moving, talking to her all the while until she seemed to become more comfortable and started dancing with him.

"Well, how about that," Aang laughed. Katara smiled at him, squeezing his hand.

"You think they're gonna be a problem?" she teased gently.

"Oh definitely," Aang replied, leaning toward her and whispering in her ear. "Bad for business, these relationships."

Katara just laughed and turned her head to meet his lips with hers briefly. She pulled away but he stopped her and stole another kiss, this one slower and sweeter. A few heads turned in their direction, accompanied by a few catcalls. The two of them gracefully ignored it. It didn't take long until Katara's arms were around his neck and she was laughing against his lips.

"What's funny?" he asked, grinning.

"Oh nothing," she sighed. "We're just having a secret dance party in an abandoned club with a bunch of firebenders, that's all." She dropped a few feathery kisses on his lips. "Funny old world, hm?"

He dug his fingers into her hips for a moment, eliciting a surprised squeal from her that made her blush. He grinned. "Yeah, that was pretty funny." She punched him in the shoulder as they both laughed, her resting her forehead on his chest to work out her giggles.

"Come on," he said suddenly. She looked up at him. He was smirking. "Let's show them how to dance, shall we?"

Katara grinned. "With pleasure."

He led her by the hand to an open area near the bandstand. He turned to face her with a grin.

"Well I know you can waltz," he began with a mischievous smile. "But can you Lindy Hop?"

Katara grinned. "With the best of them, Sparky," she replied airily, stepping closer to him. He took one of her hands in his and placed his other hand on the small of her back. She grasped his arm with the other hand and smirked, a challenge in her eyes. Aang laughed and turned to the band.

"Know anything a little faster, gentlemen?" he asked. The band stopped for a moment and the dancing all around the room ceased as well. Everyone turned toward the bandstand, curious. Then the band started up again, this time much faster, and Aang and Katara started dancing.

None of the students had ever seen the Lindy Hop before. It was a remarkable thing to see for the first time, especially since Aang and Katara were so good at it. Their feet never stopped moving as they whirled around their open space on the dance floor, every so often spinning away from each other before finding each other's hands again. Sokka, who had seen his share of Lindy Hop showdowns, started clapping with the beat of the music and cheering. The crowd was quick to pick up on it. Toph had never "seen" a Lindy Hop either, and she couldn't quite keep the astonished grin from her face.

That was when the fancy footwork really started. Aang spun Katara so fast you would miss it if you blinked, but it didn't faze her. They just kept dancing. The two of them were swinging around so fast, if they weren't connected by their hands they would have been sent flying. The audience was going crazy, whooping and cheering every time they did something new. Katara's cheeks were pink and she was breathing hard, but there was a wild glint in her eyes and she was grinning every time Aang met her gaze. Sokka and Toph were both laughing with excitement, the whole atmosphere of the club had changed and become charged with energy.

But it couldn't last.

A gunshot rang out from the entrance and the band crashed to a halt. Pandemonium broke loose as students ran for cover, screaming. Sokka had to grab Toph by the waist and haul her over his shoulder to keep her from earthbending whoever had fired the gun senseless. Another shot rang out and someone shouted, "Silence!"

A hush finally settled over the room. All of the students were packed against the back wall, except Aang and Katara who hadn't moved an inch from the center of the dance floor. They both stood fearlessly, staring down the small group of adults that had entered the club.

"Who is it?" Toph whispered from where she and Sokka crouched behind the bar. Sokka peered over cautiously.

"School principal," he hissed back. "And some cops. Aw man, we're in deep shit."

"So, Hide, you were right," the principal began slowly. That was when Aang first noticed Hide standing behind the principal with a smug look on his face. The principal stepped toward Aang and he slowly took Katara's hand in his, pulling it behind his back. "You're not even from Sunset Heights, are you?"

Aang shrugged. "Guess you caught me," he said lightly. Whispers broke out like hissing wildfires behind them. Katara didn't move. She was staring at the ground, concentrating hard on the letters Aang was drawing on her palm with his index finger. "Is there something wrong with that, sir?"

The principal sneered. Katara cleared her throat to convey she had gotten the message Aang had spelled out on her hand. Exit cellar. There was another exit through the cellar. She glanced over at the bar and saw Sokka peering over the counter. She looked at him and flicked her eyes toward the cellar door. He nodded almost imperceptibly and ducked back down.

"I see what you're doing, you know," the principal said loftily. "Trying to turn them against me, against their parents, against their society. And judging by that dark-skinned beauty beside you, I'd say you're River Trash. Of course."

More whispers from the students. Katara saw Aang's jaw clench and laced her fingers through his, trying to keep him calm.

"Well we'll just have to arrest you, I suppose," he sighed as though bored and motioned to the police officers behind him.

"Not just yet," Aang said sharply, and they stopped. "We have a dance to finish." He looked back at the band. "Gentlemen, if you would." The band exchanged bewildered looks before they started playing again, and Aang and Katara started up the Lindy Hop again. But it only lasted a few moments this time, as they spun around once and took off running for the cellar door.

"Get them!" the principal shouted.

Toph and Sokka bolted from their hiding place as well, just in time for all the students to surge forward, covering their escape.

"Stop, stop them!" the principal was still shouting as the four of them reached the door. Aang stopped and turned around to see Shoji smiling at him. Aang grinned back and slammed the door behind him.

By the time everyone had finally left the Ace of Clubs, Aang, Katara, Sokka and Toph were already well on their way back to the Southern Distillery. All that was left of them was a pile of red blazers and sweater vests in the street.

"Kind of makes you wonder who they actually were, doesn't it?" Shoji quietly asked On Ji as they passed the discarded clothing.

"I think we know enough," she replied with a smile. "They just wanted us to have a good time."

The school gossip was of nothing else for several weeks.

0000000

Zuko had been home for a few weeks now.

He had everything he wanted. He and Mai were back together, his father had restored his place in the gang, Azula had even told Boss Ozai that Zuko was responsible for the Avatar's death.

But he knew better.

Katara had that vial of water, and he knew, whether she and the Avatar had been fighting or not, that Katara had used that water to save the Avatar's life. He didn't know if it had worked, as he had looked pretty dead, but it was enough to make sure he wasn't allowed any peace.

He brooded over this again as he sat in the bar at his father's club, The Palace. Mai was sitting next to him, her head resting on his shoulder. She sighed.

"Zuko, you've been pretty boring lately," she said dully.

He smirked. "So have you," he replied.

This was the nature of their relationship. They teased each other and found common ground in their mutual dislike of things.

"Oh, there you are Zuko."

The two of them glanced at the door in irritation. There was Azula, smirking at them as usual.

"I need to speak with you," she said, completely ignoring Mai's presence.

"Later," Zuko replied. "We're busy."

Azula's eyes hardened. "Mai, Ty Lee needs help untangling her braid."

Mai hesitated for several moments before getting to her feet. "Sounds serious," she said coolly. Azula didn't see the glare Mai sent her as she walked out the door.

"What did you do that for?" Zuko scowled at her.

Azula sat down beside him without preamble. "I'm concerned about you, Zuzu," she said, sounding bored. "I heard you visited Uncle yesterday."

"That's none of your business," Zuko snapped.

"Zuko, if people hear you've been talking to that traitor, you could come under investigation," she said, her voice gaining a hard edge. "I vouched for you, Zuko. Don't betray that trust."

Without another word she left the bar. Zuko ground his teeth and lit himself a cigarette. He'd started smoking again now that Iroh wasn't around to make comments about it. Thinking of his uncle made his stomach churn and he started chewing on the cigarette butt. The bar slowly emptied around him as the sun set and the witching hour approached. By the time he was alone in the bar he'd gone through half a pack and the pile of ash in the tray beside him was overflowing.

Everyone was gone, and no one had come looking for him. Now was his chance.

Zuko moved slowly and quietly through the halls of The Palace, headed inconspicuously toward the basement. He didn't like being left alone with his thoughts like this, because his thoughts often went back to that night in the sewers of Ba Sing Se.

He still knew next to nothing about Katara. She was a powerful waterbender, she'd lost her mother to the Dragons, and she cared more about the Avatar than she did about herself. But somehow, in that short time he was imprisoned with her in a cellar, he had gained an immense amount of respect for her. He didn't necessarily like her as a person, but he found himself valuing her opinion more than he should have.

And that look she gave him right after he attacked Aang had been haunting his nightmares ever since. Some of his respect turned to fear, though he hated to admit it. His fate was sealed. She wanted to kill him, there was no avoiding it, and he couldn't help but check behind his curtains before he went to sleep each night. It was only a matter of time before they crossed paths again, and he knew for a fact she wouldn't let him escape the encounter unscathed.

He had convinced her to trust him, and trust was something she clearly valued. He's gone and screwed that up almost instantly.

But what bothered him most was the stab of regret he felt. He wondered if they would be friends now, if he'd made a different choice. She was sort of annoying, so probably not, but at least he wouldn't be afraid she would kill him in his sleep.

These musings were interrupted when he reached the lowest floor of The Palace. It was a prison, for all intents and purposes. Just a long hall lined with metal doors. They all looked the same, but Zuko knew which one he was looking for.

"Uncle?" he asked quietly as he stepped through the door into the small space between it and the bars. Sitting hunched in a corner was Iroh, but not as Aang or Katara would have recognized him. He was in the same suit he had been wearing on that night he had saved Aang and Katara, but it was wrinkled, tattered, and filthy. His hair and beard were already getting shaggy.

Zuko knelt in front of the bars, trying to gain his uncle's attention. "Uncle, please, talk to me," he said quietly. "I need your advice. I think the Avatar is still alive. I don't know what to do."

The old man remained silent, facing the wall.

"There's no one else I can turn to," he continued lowly, desperation creeping into his voice. "Azula told Dad that I killed him. If he's still alive, I'll take the fall. She set me up again, I know it. I need your help."

Still, Iroh didn't reply. He didn't even move. Zuko ground his teeth in anger.

"Fine!" he roared, jumping to his feet. "Rot away in here for all I care!"

He slammed the door behind him. Iroh still didn't move, but a tear escaped from his eye.

0000000

The next day found Aang and Katara in Katara's bedroom, Aang reclining against the headboard of the bed while Katara used him as a cushion, settled between his legs with her back against his chest. They weren't really doing anything but sitting together. Katara was reading a book, Aang was resting his head on her shoulder. They had become more and more comfortable with this kind of intimacy in the weeks since they had become a couple. They didn't always need to be kissing, sometimes it was nice to just sit together like this.

Aang sighed. Katara glanced up from her book.

"You okay, Sparky?" she asked gently.

"I'm great," he replied, his voice muffled against her shoulder. "Just been doing a lot of thinking lately…"

"What about?"

He sighed again. "Firebending."

Katara glanced back at him over her shoulder. "Firebending? How come?"

He shrugged a bit. "Well I've mastered airbending and waterbending, and I'm really close to mastering earthbending," he sighed a third time. "All that's left is firebending."

"Yep, that's logic for you."

He dug his fingers into her hips and she let out a shriek of laughter.

"Okay sorry," she laughed. "What's bothering you about that?"

"Who exactly is going to teach me to firebend? All the firebenders we know are crazy."

Katara pondered this for a few moments. "Well… Toph is crazy, but you learned earthbending from her," she pointed out. He laughed and she smiled a bit. "Don't worry too much about it, Sparky. The universe seems to like you, I'm sure it'll send someone." He laughed again and fell silent.

Katara started reading again, but after a few quiet minutes she stopped. "Hey," she said lightly.

"Hm?"

"What do you think about this thing with Sokka and Toph?"

Aang thought about it for a long time. "I didn't really see it coming, to be honest," he started slowly. "But I guess it makes sense. Are they… official or anything?"

"That's just it, Toph told me they're not. She just wants to make out with him every so often," she laughed a bit.

"Really?"

"Yeah…" she trailed off. "But Sokka seems kind of off about the whole thing, doesn't he?"

"Yeah. He still likes Suki, but I think he's starting to like Toph too."

"He has enough trouble liking one girl," Katara replied with a smile. She turned her head and met his eyes. "I'm worried about him."

Aang dropped a light kiss on her lips and she grinned. "You're a good sister," he said lightly. "But he can take care of himself, don't worry too much."

She turned at her waist and looped an arm around his neck. "Sparky, what would I do without you," she sighed dramatically.

He laughed and leaned his forehead against hers, shrugging. "I ask myself that same question every day, Dollface."


	40. Chapter 40

_PAINTED LADY AHOY!_

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* * *

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CHAPTER 40

When Aang woke up a few days later and groggily made his way out to the kitchen, he found it empty except for Toph. This was unusual, as Katara was always awake before him and she always made breakfast.

"Where is everybody?" he asked, yawning.

"Gee, Airhead, I don't know where Katara is," Toph replied with a wide, wolfish grin. Aang rolled his eyes and sat down across from her. She was eating an apple and looking somewhat ruffled. "I haven't seen anyone all morning, actually."

"Huh," Aang yawned again. "So… fruit for breakfast."

"Fruit for my breakfast," Toph pointed out, her mouth full of apple. "I don't care what you have."

Aang sighed. "Thanks Toph. I think uh… I'm going to go look around a bit, see if I can find anyone."

She gave him an idle wave as he walked out of the kitchen. As soon as he stepped out of the front door, he discovered a flurry of activity going on all across the distillery grounds. The place had gone through something of a transformation overnight. There were people running around everywhere with crates, barrels, armfuls of flowers and ribbons. He saw more women on the grounds than usual, that was for sure. Rumrunning was a male dominated market, Katara and Toph being incredibly in the minority, but there were still plenty of females who counted themselves among the Riversiders. Aang just tended to see more of the guys.

A wide area of the grounds around the main buildings of the distillery had been cleared of trucks and replaced with what looked like the grounds of a festival. There were tables and stands set up all over with barrels full of cold, clear water in between. There were paper lanterns and long colored ribbons suspended on poles enclosing the area. This was where all of the activity was centered and Aang noticed he didn't recognize a lot of people occupying the stands.

"Aang!"

He looked around quickly and saw Katara jogging toward him. His eyebrows disappeared beneath the brim of his hat when he saw what she was wearing. She was dressed in long, flowing white robes and held a wide round hat in her hand with a veil trailing behind her. A rather harassed looking woman was chasing after her with paint all over her hands. It matched the hue of the paint that Katara had on her face, but it appeared the woman hadn't finished because only half of Katara's face was decorated with deep red stripes curving along her cheekbones.

"Good morning," she said, a bit breathless when she reached him and kissed him by way of greeting. "I was hoping you'd find me."

"You look incredible," he blurted, and she blushed prettily beneath the paint. "What's going on?"

"The Festival of the Painted Lady," she replied, grinning. "It happens once a year. All the Riversiders in town gather here for a big party. It's great, there are people selling all sorts of funny things at these stands, and all kinds of food and drinks, and there's music and dancing and stories, oh Aang you'll love it!"

"Not like any party I've ever been to," he admitted curiously, taking another look around.

"I know, it's unusual," she agreed quietly. "But it's something the Riversiders have been doing forever."

"So what's with the getup?" he asked, eyeing the woman standing behind her and shooting him irritated looks.

Katara spun for him and smiled. "I am the Painted Lady," she said airily, drawing herself up to her full height and fluttering her eyelashes at him.

"Half painted," the woman grumbled.

Katara blinked in surprise, not having realized she had been followed. "Oh, Yugoda, I'm sorry," she grimaced guiltily. "I guess I kind of ran out on you, huh?"

The woman rolled her eyes, but she couldn't keep the smile from her face. "Just come back when you're ready for me to finish," she sighed, and walked away.

Katara turned back to Aang, who was smirking at her. She punched him in the shoulder and he laughed.

"So who exactly is the Painted Lady?" he asked lightly, taking her hand and allowing her to lead him slowly around the festival grounds.

"A benevolent spirit, as the stories go," she replied lowly. "She guarded over a small village a very long time ago and healed the sick. Apparently she taught the first healers."

"Like you."

"Like me."

They paused to greet a few people Aang recognized from the northern distillery.

"So why are you dressed like her?" he asked, eyes roving over her again.

She shrugged a bit. "You can't have a festival for the Painted Lady without a Painted Lady, can you?" she smirked a bit. "It's sort of my job to entertain all the little kids. I tell them stories and do some tricks with waterbending, stuff like that. It used to be my mother's job, but I took over for her after she died."

Aang squeezed her hand and she smiled at him.

"Hey, you can help me out this year," she said quietly. "Imagine the scandal. The Painted Lady and the Avatar."

Aang laughed. "I'd love to help out. I like kids," he began, but he trailed off thoughtfully. "I'll need a costume though if I'm gonna keep up with you."

"I'm sure Yugoda can set you up. Come on, she probably isn't too annoyed with me yet."

Katara took Aang by the hand and led him to a storage shed behind the festival grounds. It had been transformed into a dressing room, with Riversiders from all over dressing as clowns and magicians and all sorts of entertainers. Yugoda was waiting for Katara with an expression of resignation. Katara apologized profusely for taking so long, but Yugoda just laughed and finished with her makeup. Then she helped Katara set up a costume for Aang, stealing his hat, shoes, socks, jacket, tie, and shirt from him and leaving him with only his pants. He was rather embarrassed and a bit miserable standing half-naked in an old storage shed with Katara giggling at him, but Yugoda soon emerged with an armful of white bed sheets that she deftly transformed into a robe-like outfit that wrapped over his shoulders.

"You look very Avatarish," Katara said officiously when he turned around for her to look at him. He grinned and she put on her hat, arranging the veil around her.

"So why are there so many entertainers if it's just the Riversiders?" Aang asked after a moment, looking around.

"Oh it's not just the Riversiders," she said, casting a glance around the room. "Everyone in Omashu is invited."

Aang stared. "To an illegal brewery."

"Yep."

"Really?"

Katara laughed a bit. "Well we don't invite the cops, obviously, or the Dragons. They know about it, but they're not about to show up with so many waterbenders and earthbenders in one place," she smirked at him. "Common sense, Sparky."

He grabbed her around the waist in a moment of mischief and spun her into a low dip, lifting the veil from the front of her face. She reached up and lifted the brim of her hat, craning her neck up to kiss him.

"Cut it out!" Yugoda snapped. "You'll smear the paint!"

The two of them regained their feet quickly, both blushing a bit in embarrassment.

"Sorry Yugoda…"

0000000

It wasn't long before people from the city started streaming in. The whole place was alive with talking and laughing, people buying food at the vendors and perusing the assortment of toys and knick knacks for sale. There was a whole jazz band set up near a dance floor made of wood planks lined up on the grass.

Aang and Katara were set up in a clear patch of grass between two stalls. They sat on the ground side by side, leaning against the wall of one of the distillery buildings. Arranged in the grass in front of them were children, ranging between two and ten years old, listening to their stories with rapt attention. Katara told them the stories of the spirits passed down from her mother, and Aang told stories Gyatso the Monk had told him about the Avatar.

The children were fascinated, listening with rapt attention. Right there in front of them was the Avatar and a real live spirit. Aang had never done something like this before, and it was exhilarating. He could understand why Katara was in such a good mood today. She clearly loved this, and looked forward to it every year.

Sokka and Toph strolled by a couple times, making loud comments about how the Painted Lady looked oddly familiar to annoy them.

"You know," Aang said suddenly as the sun began to set. "I have a story that none of you have ever heard before." The children became silent, staring at him in anticipation. "A long time ago, a war was raging all across the world, and the Avatar had disappeared." The children gasped and Katara tilted her head curiously. "He was missing for a hundred years, until the Painted Lady found him deep beneath the sea."

Aang glanced at her with a mischievous smile. She felt the corners of her mouth turning up as she realized what he was doing.

So Aang spun their story into an epic full of adventure and romance. He told them of a giant flying bison that carried them through the sky and an evil firebending prince, banished from the royal family. They visited the lofty temples of the airbenders and the stone city of Omashu. They broke into and out of prisons, passed through the Spirit World on multiple occasions, hiked their way through a wide canyon and saved a village from a volcano. They travelled from the South Pole all across the world to the North, where they defended a great city from a siege and saved the spirits of the ocean and the moon. He told of a mysterious cave in which the Avatar and the Painted Lady were trapped, and how they began to fall in love. Katara blushed beneath her veil. They were lost in a swamp and haunted by visions, chased across the land by an insane princess and her consorts. There was a library in the middle of a desert inhabited by an ancient owl, a city of walls presided over by a king , and a desperate battle in the catacombs beneath it. He spoke of the Avatar's destiny, to defeat the evil Fire Lord and restore peace to the world.

The children loved every second of it, listening with wide eyes and open mouths. They clapped and cheered when he finished, and by then it was getting dark, so they had to return to their parents. Aang and Katara remained on the grass, Katara regarding him thoughtfully. He glanced at her.

"What?"

She just grinned and listed her veil so she could lean in and kiss him without restriction. He grinned against her lips and wrapped his arms around her, and she suddenly felt a surge of energy, like a lightning bolt passing through her. She pulled back abruptly, blinking, and the first thing she saw was the moon, full and bright, glowing over the river valley.

"You okay?" Aang asked her quietly, searching her eyes.

She shook her head a bit, smiling. "Yeah, of course," she replied just as quietly. Adrenaline rushed through her veins and she took a shaky breath. "Just uh… noticed, the full moon."

Aang glanced over his shoulder, the moon reflected in his grey eyes. "Oh, um…" he began, unsure of what to do. He knew how the full moon affected her, filled her with energy and strength. Not to mention blurring her judgment a bit. She was more likely to act than to speak or think. His grip loosened on her waist. "You want me to… go, or anything?" he asked awkwardly.

She smiled at him, fire in her eyes. "No," she replied simply. She kissed him again, and he could feel her pulse thrumming beneath his hands. She pulled away from him again, smirking, and pulled him to his feet beside her with his hand in hers. He felt butterflies in his stomach.

"Where are we going?" he asked quietly as they wove their way between the stands.

"Shh," she whispered, a finger to her lips. "Just come with me."

They ended up at the river, and Katara didn't stop at the bank as Aang expected her to. She waded into the shallow water, the bottom of her dress fanning out on the surface when the water reached her knees. Aang followed her until she stopped and turned back to him.

"I had to be by the water," she murmured, reaching up to the back of his neck and pulling him close. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, shivering.

"Katara," Aang said quietly, and she heard the caution in his voice. "Are you sure you want me here?"

She looked up at him, her eyes boring into his. "I'm sure," she replied in an undertone. "Why? You don't want to be here?"

Aang stared at her, his hands sweating in hers. She just smiled, amused by how nervous he was. "Of course I want to be here," he stammered a bit and she giggled. "I just… don't know if I should be." She titled her head, eyes still fixed on his. "You know how you get when the moon is full," he muttered, blushing. "I don't want to… take advantage of you or anything…"

She laughed then, a clear, musical sound that carried down the river.

"That's real sweet of you, Sparky, but you don't scare me," she said quietly, smirking at him.

It was then that Aang realized she was teasing him, trying to get him to prove her wrong. She wanted him to make a move.

Aang smiled and kissed the top of her head. "Good," he said quietly. "I'm glad we understand each other."

She looked up at him grumpily. "Not what I was expecting," she sighed, pouting. "Come on, Sparky. How about something a little more memorable?"

He laughed a bit and leaned down to kiss her soundly on the mouth. He felt her grin and wrap her arms around his neck.

"Don't you feel it, Sparky?" she murmured into his mouth. "You're part waterbender, aren't you?"

Aang, unlike Katara, found it rather difficult to string together coherent sentences whilst kissing, and all he managed was "Uhmf."

She pulled back and laughed again, that clean, flowery sound, and suddenly he wasn't nervous at all. He sent her smirk right back at her and grabbed her by the waist, spinning her in a circle and catching her in a dip, her head just inches above the river water, before he kissed her again. One of her hands slid up into his hair, the other walking her fingers up his back. It occurred to him a moment too late that she seemed to be trying to distract him. Her foot had snaked around his leg under water, catching him behind his knee, and the two of them went splashing into the river.

Katara reached the surface first, bursting into fits of laughter while Aang spluttered indignantly. He bushed his sopping hair out of his eyes and looked at her, butterflies wrestling in his stomach for a moment when he caught the sight of her, soaking wet and knee deep in the shining river, laughing.

"You played me," he realized incredulously. This had been her plan all along. She just laughed harder. Aang made a mental note never to trust her completely during the full moon before he leapt forward, tackling her under the slow moving current.

Kissing underwater wasn't like kissing above it. For one, it was wetter. The need for air was also a bit more desperate. So when the broke the surface again, they simultaneously started spluttering.

"Agh, awful!" Aang spat.

"Ick," Katara stuck her tongue out.

"Why does the water taste so bad?" Aang asked, still wincing a bit from the horrible taste. He'd drunk plenty of water from this river during waterbending practice. Not willingly of course, but Katara was a much better waterbender than him and he ended up facedown in it more often than not, and it had never tasted bad before.

"I don't know," Katara replied, spitting in a rather unladylike fashion. She sniffed the air and turned north toward the city. "Want to find out?"

Aang smiled a bit and snatched her wayward hat and veil out of the water, replacing it on her head. "Absolutely."

She grinned at him. "Alright then, try to keep up." And with that she flung herself forward up the river, riding on the water with her robes and hair whipping behind her.

"Hey, no fair!"

0000000

It was half an hour later and well into the night when Aang and Katara discovered the source of the river's bad taste. An old derelict factory on the southwest side of town had been reopened.

"The old ammunition factory?" Katara asked as she and Aang crept up the bank. "This hasn't been open in decades as far as I know."

"The Dragons must be behind it if we don't know about it," Aang sighed.

"They had to open their own factory to make bullets for their guns," Katara said with a sour frown. "We've been making it harder to arm themselves for the past few months. Damn! We should have known they'd do something like this."

Aang wrinkled his nose distastefully, his eyes following a set of pipes dumping pollution from the building into the river.

"We have to do something about this," Aang began slowly. He glanced at Katara, still in the guise of the Painted Lady. He smiled. "What if the Spirit World decided they didn't like all this pollution?"

Katara grinned back. Despite Their time beneath the river, the paint on her face had only run slightly and remained mostly intact. It gave her a wild appearance. "They'd probably send a couple of spirits to take care of it, wouldn't you say?"

"Let's do this."

Considering it was the dead of night, the factory was shut down. There were only three guards on duty, hired to prevent exactly what was about to happen. They didn't hear Aang and Katara break in through a side entrance, stealthy as shadows. It was only when the windows facing toward the river shattered, allowing a tidal wave to flood into the factory, that the guards were even aware they were under attack.

"Who it is?" one of them shouted, summoning fire to his fists and ducking under a torrent of water. "What's going on?"

"The spirits are attacking!" another guard called back in terror when Katara flashed past him on a wave of river water.

"Don't be ridiculous!" was all the first guard managed to yell before the Avatar landed in front of him, blasting him out the front door with a powerful gust of wind. The other two guards were quickly dispatched by Katara, joining the first on the street in front of the factory.

The two of them proceeded to wreak havoc on the interior of the factory, washing great waves of waste and equipment out into the street. They shook the building to its very foundations and it wasn't long before the ceiling started crumbling. With a final satisfied glance around, they escaped out to the river and destroyed the pipes dumping toxins into the river.

They stood on the riverbank, watching the building fall apart until they heard sirens wailing in the distance.

"A job well done, Avatar," Katara said with a smirk.

He took her by the hand and grinned. "Shall we?"

And the two of them took off down the river.

When the guards were questioned by the police later that morning, all they could say was that they were attacked by two powerful, angry spirits.

0000000

The full moon's energy didn't wear off of Katara for quite a while, not to mention the adrenaline from destroying the factory. She and Aang stayed outside nearly until dawn, loitering by the river. They didn't waste much time talking, as Katara only seemed interested in his lips when they were pressed against hers.

This was their first full moon as a couple, so Aang figured he would have to get used to this. Staying up all night didn't particularly bother him, but after a certain amount of time it was hard to catch his breath. Plus he figured Hakoda wouldn't be too happy if he learned they had been out all night doing exactly what he didn't want them to.

She at least had enough sense not to push him too far, so by sunrise when they were both sneaking back to their bedrooms, they did so with their dignity intact.

At least until Sokka and Toph woke them up to rib them endlessly about disappearing from the festival.

"So what did you get up to last night, hmm?" Toph teased at the kitchen table.

Katara shrugged. "Blew up a factory," she said lightly.

"That was you?" Sokka burst out. "Man, everyone was talking about it! Why didn't you invite us?"


	41. Chapter 41

Hey everyone,

I'm sorry to tell you that I won't be writing anymore. Please check my livejournal (lyralocke (dot) livejournal (dot) com) for an explanation. I really appreciate all the reviews, good and bad, and I'm glad you've enjoyed reading what I wrote.

All the best,

Lyra


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